Chivulkula, Upendra J. (Upendra Joge)
Dates
- Existence: 1950-
biographical statement
Upendra Joge Chivukula (born October 8, 1950) is an American Democratic Party politician, who has served in the New Jersey General Assembly since 2002, where he represents the 17th Legislative District. He is running in 2012 to represent New Jersey's 7th congressional district in the United States House of Representatives, a seat that U.S. Representative Leonard Lance currently holds.[1][2]
In 2001, Chivukula became the first Indian American elected to the New Jersey General Assembly and the fourth Indian-American in the United States to be elected to state office.[3]
Chivukula has been the Assembly's Deputy Speaker since 2007. He serves in the Assembly on the Telecommunications and Utilities Committee (as Chair) and the Appropriations Committee.[4]
Assemblyman Chivukula served on the Franklin Township Council from 1997 until his election to the General Assembly. He served as the township Deputy mayor in 1998 and as Mayor in 2000.[4] In Franklin Township, he has also served on the Franklin Township Community Foundation, Finance Oversight Committee, Traffic Management Committee, Fire Prevention Board, Emergency Life Support Delivery, Integrated Communications Committee, Emergency Management, Franklin Township Planning Board, Economic Development Committee, Community / Senior Center Steering Committee and the Bicentennial Celebration Committee. Chivukula has served on the Somerset County Affordable Housing Board of Trustees and the Middlesex County Cultural and Historic Commission. He was appointed by then Governor of New Jersey James Florio to be a Public Member of the New Jersey State Board of Social Work Examiners, where he served from 1994 to 1997.
He was a Member of Delegation to the Democratic National Convention in 1996, 2000, and 2008, and was an alternate delegate in 2004.[5][6]
Chivukula was one of New Jersey's presidential electors casting the state's Electoral College votes after the 2004 presidential election.[7] New Jersey's electors cast their ballots on December 13, 2004 in the State House Annex in Trenton, where all 15 votes were cast for the Democratic Party candidate John Kerry.
Chivukula received a B.E.E. from Guindy Engineering College (now part of Anna University) in Electrical Engineering and an M.E.E. degree from City College of New York in Electrical Engineering.[4] He was born in Nellore, India, and currently resides in Somerset.[8]