Taral Patel Announces Run for FB County Commissioner

Houston: A high profile IndianAmerican policy expert, Taral V Patel, who works with the Biden administration on domestic US policy issues in Washington DC, has announced that he is running for the post of commissioner in Fort Bend county, Texas, precinct 3.

Patel announced on social media that he is running to flip the seat from red (Republican) to blue (Democrat), and to make Fort Bend a forward thinking stronghold in Texas.

Commissioners are elected officials who are policy makers, overseeing the operation and administration of the county. They are responsible for overseeing the county’s management and administration, representing county interests at the state and federal level, participating in long-range planning, and managing the county budget and finances.

Patel announced his candidacy on Twitter earlier this week and posted a campaign video. “I’m announcing my campaign for Fort Bend County Commissioner. Together, we can push past the divisive politics that we see in the news — and build a stronger, diverse, & more united Fort Bend,” he said.

Patel has worked in diverse po- litical roles and was the youngest chief of staff to serve for the Fort Bend county’s judge’s office when another high profile Indian American, KP George, was elected as judge. Patel had worked as a strategist during George’s campaign in the 2018 midterm elections. Earlier, he had held positions on many campaigns including Mayor Bill White, Senator Rodney Ellis and Wendy Davis.

Patel’s parents immigrated to the US from India and he grew up in Greater Houston studying at Cinco Ranch High School and graduating from University of Texas at Austin.

In his election website, Patel has been described as a lifelong public servant with experience in local, state, and federal government and the private sector who has made the local community more effective, engaging, and efficient for everyone that calls Fort Bend home.

He helped lead Fort Bend county successfully through numerous flooding incidents, the COVID19 pandemic, winter storm Uri and electric grid failure, droughts, and other major emergencies to emerge stronger and more united than ever before, his website says.

“His efforts have brought thousands of good paying jobs to Fort Bend, made historic investments to public safety and emergency management programmes, and fought traffic congestion.”

The Democratic primary election is scheduled for March 5, 2024.