Raja grew up in Peoria, Illinois and has dedicated his life to public service. The son of Indian immigrants, he went through the public school system here before earning a bachelor’s degree summa cum laude in mechanical engineering from Princeton University and graduating with honors from Harvard Law School, all with the help of scholarships and loans.

His public service work runs deep and includes clerking for a federal judge in Chicago, serving as issues director for the campaign of an up-and-coming U.S. Senator, and being appointed to serve as a Special Assistant to the Attorney General, among other positions. Raja was a member of the Illinois Housing Development Authority and served for two years as Illinois Deputy Treasurer.

Currently president of a small business in the national security and renewable energy industries, Raja this past Wednesday evening at our Kinzie store was completely at ease and most generous sharing his experiences with our many guests.

Conversations included the well-being of Illinois and the tough business of running a political campaign in 2016, along with several topics close to our hearts: the state of rug weaving countries around the world, from which Oscar Isberian Rugs does much of our business, as well as a number of Armenian-related issues. Raja’s insights were well-informed and much appreciated.

We thank all of our guests who came out to meet candidate Krishnamoorthi, and we wish Raja much success in November.