A 31-year-old Indian-American from Theni in Tamil Nadu is running for mayor of Washington DC as a Democratic candidate. She is a government contractor and the first South Asian to appear on the city’s mayoral primary ballot.Her campaign focuses on “Fix the Basics,” promising better infrastructure, lower costs and improved public services, while positioning herself as a political outsider.Who is Rini Sampath?Rini Sampath is an Indian-American professional and emerging political figure who is contesting the 2026 mayoral election in Washington DC.BackgroundBorn in Theni, she moved to the United States at the age of seven.She is 31 years old and has lived in Washington DC for over a decade.Professionally, she works as a government contractor and cybersecurity professional.Education & early leadershipSampath studied at the University of Southern California (USC), where she gained national attention as student body president in 2015.During her time at USC, she advocated for campus safety, diversity, and student rights, and spoke out against racism and harassment.Political careerShe is running as a Democratic candidate in the 2026 Washington DC mayoral race.Notably, she is among the first South Asian candidates to contest for the post.Sampath presents herself as a political outsider, not aligned with established political groups.Campaign agendaHer campaign is centered on the theme “Fix the Basics”, focusing on:Improving infrastructure (roads, potholes)Fixing wastewater issues in the Potomac RiverReducing cost of livingImproving emergency services like 911 response timesShe has criticised existing leadership, arguing that the city government has failed in delivering basic services.Why she entered politicsSampath says her decision to run was driven by frustration with poor city services, including snowstorm response and infrastructure failures.Washington DC is dominated overwhelmingly by Democrats and the city never has had a Republican mayor since the elections to the post began in 1975. Before that, the city was administered by a Board of Commissioners appointed by the US president.The District of Columbia is administered by a popularly elected mayor and a 13-member district council.”As Mayor of DC, my priority will be to make sure our city lives up to its basic commitments to our residents. Fill the potholes. Stop the catastrophic wastewater spill in the Potomac. Lower prices. Improve 911 wait times,” Sampath said.The primary is scheduled for June 16, while the general election will be held on November 3.Others in the mayoral race are Janeese Lewis George, Kenyan McDuffie, Gary Goodweather, Robert L Gross and Rhonda Hamilton. PTI inputs