What is your name?

Ashwin Ramaswami

Tell us more about yourself.

I’m Ashwin Ramaswami from Johns Creek. As the son of immigrants from India, I learned the value of seva, the virtue of public service by giving more than what we take. For this reason, I picked a public interest career over working in private industry. I’ve worked with nonprofits, startups and small businesses on public interest technology. If elected, I would be the first Indian American legislator in Georgia and bring a new perspective as a computer scientist, lawyer and election security expert. I want to invest in our future: fully funding our education system, investing in safer communities and protecting reproductive rights.

What office are you running for?

State Senator, District 48

What is your party affiliation?

Democrat

Attach a photo of yourself

Attach your resume or CV.

Where did you go to school?

- Chattahoochee High School, 2013-2017 - Georgia Institute of Technology, 2015-2017 - B.S. Computer Science, Stanford University, 2017-2021 - J.D., Georgetown University Law Center, 2021-2024

Provide the link to your campaign website.

https://ashwinforgeorgia.com/

What is your job/occupation?

Software engineer and founder at Ashwin Run

What city/neighborhood do you live in?

Johns Creek

Is this your first time running for office?

Yes

What experiences have best prepared you to hold elected office?

Unlike my opponent, I grew up in the community I aim to represent. I’ve not only helped build startups and small businesses in technology, I was a federal employee under both the Trump and Biden administrations, where I worked with both blue and red states to fix election security problems from 2020 to 2023. I also have a legal background and worked as a fellow in the Georgia attorney general’s office. In fact, some of my policy research and advocacy led to Congress’ introduction of H.R. 3286, the Securing Open Source Software Act. I’ve always worked in a bipartisan manner and will bring this approach to elected office and public service.

What would be your top priority upon winning office?

Expanding Medicaid. Without full Medicaid expansion, Georgians’ taxes are currently used to subsidize Medicaid programs in other states, and we should bring this money back into the state to benefit Georgians. We should replace Pathways to Coverage, which is spending our taxpayer money on expensive red tape that insures less Georgians, with full Medicaid expansion. Not expanding Medicaid has resulted in hospital closures across Georgia, undermined our health care system, and left over 400,000 Georgians uninsured. Medicaid expansion is a bipartisan and commonsense solution that both red and blue states have already enacted.

What actions would you take to enhance government transparency and trust in government?

We need campaign finance reform to get big money out of politics. I do not take corporate PAC money. I will work to ensure that only individuals, not large corporate PACs, can directly contribute to campaigns in state politics. I will work to create an independent redistricting commission for the state legislature so that incumbents cannot gerrymander their way into staying into office. We need to make it easier for the government to hire people who understand technology, so that government systems are easier to use by the public. Finally, I will advocate for increased ethics oversight for public officials.

Do you believe Georgia elections are secure and what additional security measures can be taken?

While Georgians should be confident in the security of our elections, I will advocate for election security reforms that are based on science and not politics. I will support Georgia’s elections officials with more funding for audits and cybersecurity so they can do their job. I’ll advocate for human-readable paper ballots, as recommended by a National Academies report. Ultimately, the biggest threat to our elections isn’t just hackers. It's also politicians like Donald Trump and my opponent Shawn Still, who have dishonestly undermined election results. I’m committed to supporting the democratic process and standing up for our election officials.

What is government's responsibility to ensure affordable housing?

The government must combat the housing shortage. We need to expand access to workforce housing so that all members of our community can afford to live here, from nurses, teachers, retail workers to police officers. I will work for commonsense zoning reforms for more diverse types of housing, including mixed-use developments, to be built in commercial and office zones. I will also advocate for a transit-oriented development strategy around MARTA. We should amend state law to increase tenant protections, such as preventing landlords from discriminating against tenants who pay using Housing Choice Vouchers, a housing assistance program.

Do you believe public access to public records is sufficient in your jurisdiction and, if not, what steps do you support to remedy that?

No. We must revise the Georgia Open Meetings Act and Open Records Act to close loopholes that allow officials to circumvent the public records requirements. For example, the Open Records Act does not apply to the General Assembly. I will work to ensure it does apply to the General Assembly. Some language in the Open Meetings Act, such as the “quorum” requirement, provide officials with an easy path to circumvent the public records requirements. We should revise other exceptions to ensure more information can be disclosed if it is in the public interest. As Justice Brandeis wrote, “Sunlight is said to be the best of disinfectants.”