Who is Aruna Miller? Maryland’s first Indian-American Lieutenant Governor
Aruna Miller made history on Wednesday when the 58-year-old became the first South Asian woman elected lieutenant governor in the United States, the first Asian American lieutenant governor, and the first immigrant to hold statewide office in Maryland.
The democrat became the 10th Lieutenant Governor of the state which is the state’s highest official following the Governor and assumes the role when the Governor is out of state or incapacitated.
Aruna mentioned her family in her inauguration speech and said,
“I spent most of my life trying to fit in the space that didn't have me and mine, as an immigrant growing up in a new country, or as a female engineer in a male-dominated field, as an Indian American legislator in a legislature that looked nothing like me. It took me a long time to realize that it was never about needing to fit into a space created by others. It was always about having the courage to be my authentic self in every space,”
“Maryland, I am humbled and honored to be your Lieutenant Governor. We are only just getting started!” Miller tweeted.
Maryland, I am humbled and honored to be your Lieutenant Governor. We are only just getting started! pic.twitter.com/tUM0ai6Us7
— Aruna Miller (@arunamiller) January 18, 2023
Aruna Miller: Know her
- Born on November 6, 1964, in Hyderabad, India Aruna Miller is an American politician who has served as the tenth lieutenant governor of Maryland since 2023.
- In 2018 she ran for Congress to represent Maryland's 6th congressional district, and lost the Democratic primary to David Trone by 9.3%, with 30.7% of the vote compared to Trone's 40.0%.
- In 2021, Wes Moore chose Miller as his running mate in the Democratic primary of the 2022 Maryland gubernatorial election and won the Democratic nomination on July 19, 2022.
- They defeated Republican nominee Dan Cox and his running mate Gordana Schifanelli on November 8, 2022.
- She is the second female lieutenant governor after Kathleen Kennedy Townsend.
Aruna Miller: Early life and Education
- Miller's family came to the United States when she was seven years old.
- Along with her two siblings and parents, she lived in Poughkeepsie, New York.
- Her father was a mechanical Engineer at IBM.
- Miller attended public schools in Upstate New York and Ballwin, Missouri.
- Miller obtained a Bachelor of Science degree in civil engineering from the Missouri University of Science and Technology.
Aruna Miller: Career
This partnership, this dedication, this desire to serve…this is what it’s all about. pic.twitter.com/rTxhkrF143
— Aruna Miller (@arunamiller) January 18, 2023
- In 2015, miller devoted her full attention to her service in the Maryland legislature.
- In 2001 Miller became a citizen of the United States and voted in the 2000 United States presidential election for Vice President of the United States Al Gore.
- In 2004 she worked as a precinct-level volunteer for the Democratic Party and nominee John Kerry during the United States presidential election.
- In 2006 she was appointed to serve as an at-large member of the Montgomery County Democratic Central Committee and served in that position until 2010.
Lieutenant Governor of Maryland
Thank you, Maryland. You mean the world to us and more. pic.twitter.com/qCfYUUa1dH
— Aruna Miller (@arunamiller) January 19, 2023
In December 2021, Wes Moore selected Miller as his running mate in the Democratic primary of the 2022 Maryland gubernatorial election.
The Moore-Miller ticket won the Democratic primary election on July 19, 2022.
She was sworn in alongside her family, new Governor Wes Moore, and state lawmakers inside the State House’s Senate chamber in Annapolis and addressed a crowd of well-wishers outside the historic building.
Moore became Maryland’s 63rd governor, the state’s first and the country’s only current Black chief executive.
“To Aruna’s mother, Hema, and to my mom, Joy, you epitomize everything special about this state; You are proof that in Maryland, anything is possible,” Moore tweeted.
I want you to see what I saw today as I was inaugurated as the 63rd governor of Maryland.
— Wes Moore for Maryland Governor (@iamwesmoore) January 18, 2023
This is our state in all its beauty.
And this is who I’ll fight for every single day that I have the honor of being your governor. pic.twitter.com/UA8LqhO6pc
