State Rep. Arvind Venkat returns to office as representative in Pennsylvania’s 30th District, defeating Republican challenger Nathan Wolfe, 21,795 to 17,687, according to the Allegheny County Department of Elections.
Libertarian party candidate William Johnson Baierl garnered more than 650 votes. District 30 includes McCandless, Franklin Park and part of Hampton among its municipalities.
This will be the Democrat’s second consecutive two-year term.
“I am humbled and grateful for the continued trust placed by the community in me to serve as our state representative. It has been the honor of my professional life to do so. I will continue to focus on being a responsive and diligent public servant for all of my neighbors in this role,” Venkat said.
The McCandless resident is married to Dr. Veena Venkat, with whom he has three children, ages 20, 18 and 14. An emergency room physician, Arvind Venkat applies advice he learned in school to his work as a state representative.
“As a medical student, one of the first axioms I learned was: No one cares about what you know until they know you care. This principle also applies to serving in public office. My fundamental lesson is that my and my staff’s work to connect with the community, whether it was me personally knocking on over 34,000 doors to my staff helping over 10,000 of my constituents with state services, is the critical way to continue to earn the trust of my neighbors to serve well in this role,” Venkat said.
He believes his political peers are all trying to do their best.
“I get asked frequently, ‘What is the most surprising thing about serving in the state House?’ I don’t think it should be a surprise, but it is gratifying that I feel confident that all my colleagues are there because they are trying to do the right thing for their community and our state,” he said. “I believe they feel the same way about me. That is the foundation in both working together and differing when necessary. I do not question anyone’s motivations and try to work from that base to find common ground, and will continue to do so.”
Some of the bigger concerns he hears from the community include high costs.
“Even though the inflation rate has come down to a more normal level, the rapid previous rise in inflation left many feeling they cannot afford all they need and want for their families. This is a global phenomenon after the pandemic, but felt by everyone in our community and country. We must find a way to build an economy that works for all,” he said.
Upcoming Local Events
Immigration also is a critical issue, both nationally and locally.
“Nationally, it is clear that we must bolster border security against undocumented immigration and increase resources to more rapidly assess asylum claims and deport those who do not qualify,” Venkat said. “At the same time, we are a nation of immigrants and need more channels of legal immigration. This is especially critical locally, where we have an aging and flat population. The only population growth in Allegheny County has come from immigrant populations, such as me and my family. We need to have a national conversation on how to enact policies that meet both of these needs.
“Locally, funding our public schools and first responders, making health care more affordable and accessible, continuing to protect reproductive rights and voting rights at the state level, and passing gun safety legislation are all critically important,” he said.
Since being elected, he has continued to do clinical shifts in the emergency department once or twice per month on a weekend night at a local community hospital.
“Outside of office, being a good father and husband are the most important things to me. I try to be with my family as much as I can. I also enjoy reading and following our local sports teams,” he said.
Venkat was born in in the Tamil Nadu state of India. He came to the United States with his parents in 1974 at 3 months old.
He does find occasions to travel back to India to visit family but not as much since the pandemic, and also because of his and his wife’s obligations here. But he looks forward to future opportunities.
“I have always loved travel to Europe and hope to make a trip next summer with my family,” he said.
Venkat has sat on the McCandless-Franklin Park Ambulance Authority board. He also served on the Pennsylvania College of Emergency Physicians, of which he served as past president.
Other experiences include attending physician, department of emergency medicine, and director, integrated ethics program, Allegheny Health Network; professor of emergency medicine, Drexel University College of Medicine; and consultant to the Western Pennsylvania Autism Services Education, Resources and Training Collaborative.
Venkat has bachelor’s and master’s degrees from Harvard University, and a doctor of medicine from the Yale University School of Physicians. His residency in emergency medicine is from the University of Cincinnati/University Hospital.