Conversations with Neal Walia

Today we’d like to introduce you to Neal Walia. Them and their team share their story with us below:

Neal Walia is the son of immigrant parents who migrated to this country from India in pursuit of better opportunities for their children and their families. He was born and raised in an immigrant neighborhood in Seattle, Washington. At the age of 11, his father landed a new job in Denver, Colorado and moved Neal, his younger sister, Natasha, and his mom to Highlands Ranch. Neal grew up hearing of the journey of his parents from their beginnings as service industry workers to their current careers as educators, teaching him what is possible when all people are given the opportunity to succeed.

Shortly after moving to Colorado, Neal’s life changed forever. On September 11th, 2001, the day of his mother’s birthday, the horrific act of terrorism that shook our nation to its core took place in New York City. In an instant, all of his friends and peers no longer saw Neal as their friend and neighbor but as a person who looked like a terrorist. He was physically and verbally bullied on a regular basis and was called names such as terrorist, Osama, and much worse. With his mom serving as the former President of the India Association of Colorado, Neal was able to find solace in his community, where he and his other brown friends were able to share their experiences with one another and help each other overcome the challenging reality of being outcasted and marginalized.

While navigating the racism and xenophobia he faced in school, the 2008 financial crisis hit Neal’s family personally. Neal’s father lost his job and experienced long stretches of unemployment. With his mom working as a public school teacher, Neal understood from an early age the pressures of living in a state of financial instability. Social safety net benefits like unemployment allowed his family to make ends meet until his father could find a new job.In his time at the University of Colorado-Boulder, Neal got involved in campus organizing as the President of the South Asian Student Association and was elected to serve in the university’s student government. Through an internship with former Congressman Mark Udall, Neal was able to get his first foot in the door of politics. Neal brought his passion for public service to Governor Hickenlooper’s office, working to end homelessness in Colorado and build bridges between our state government and the AAPI community. This work brought him to Washington with the National Governors Association, which opened his eyes to the underside of national politics. Neal realized that just being a Democrat wasn’t enough to fight for Justice and equity – that both parties are influenced by special interest groups, corporate lobbyists, and massive amounts of money, all to maintain the status quo instead of creating a better country for all Americans. Neal has committed himself to fight not just for the Democratic Party but for the people who’ve been left behind by politicians across the spectrum.

Although Neal’s congressional campaign ultimately fell short of victory in the 2022 Colorado Democratic Primary, he has committed himself to being a public servant and leader in the city of Denver. At the moment, Neal is currently locking in his next job opportunity and taking steps to be more involved in his neighborhood association, the Democratic state house district he lives in, as well as a number of organizations dedicated to economically empowering our city’s most vulnerable community. He’s also looking forward to using his voice and power to support other progressive candidates who have the courage to say no to corporate PAC money and put the people of our city above profit, party, and politics.

We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
In respect to the Congressional campaign, there are a number of challenges non-establishment and non-corporate candidates face, especially when it comes to challenging powerful incumbents who are backed by establishment Democrats and corporate PACs. The greatest challenge by far was raising the financial resources to compete with my opponent, who has accepted millions and millions of dollars from corporations over the course of her 26 years career in Congress.

Additionally, running a campaign comes at an immense financial, emotional, and mental burden to candidates and their families. Financially speaking, it’s incredibly challenging to commit to a campaign full-time without making a salary. I am extremely fortunate to have run because my wife and I had positioned ourselves financially to be able to take this step and had the full financial support of our extended families and close friends who were proud to help us go on this journey. But the harsh reality is that not many have the means to run for office. Campaign finance reform in national politics is desperately needed so that working-class people who share the struggles of their communities are able to step up, compete and win elections at the national level.

Alright, so let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know about your work?
Prior to running for office, I’d say most folks in Denver and Colorado knew me because of my background in community and political organizing. I grew up in a strong and united South Asian community here in Colorado and have spent every year since college connecting members of my community to their elected officials and empowering them to take advantage of the public resources that are available to our community members, many of whom are immigrants and business owners.

I am most proud of my family. My grandparents were very involved in public service back in India by serving in politics and in the Indian Army. My mom and dad are both public school teachers here in Colorado. My mom has been teaching for 20 years and was once the president of the India Association of Colorado. My father works with special needs students. My wife and her family are very much involved in the Sikh community and she as an individual has been breaking barriers at every step of her career as a woman of color working in the field of housing and finance. My younger sister is one of the top civil engineers in Oakland, California. My family is the main source of love and inspiration that motivates me to be the best version of myself every single day.

I don’t think anything sets me apart from anyone if I’m being honest. I’m just a man of the people. Not above, but equal.

So, before we go, how can our readers or others connect or collaborate with you? How can they support you?
The best way for folks to connect with me and explore opportunities for collaboration is to email me at neal@nealwaliaforcongress.com. The first and most important step us getting together for coffee or a video chat to get to know each other and share stories. The next steps of our partnership will evolve from there!

Contact Info:

• Website: nealwaliaforcongress.com
• Instagram: neal_k_walia
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=10235978
• Twitter: https://twitter.com/NealKWalia
• Other: https://www.tiktok.com/@nealkwalia?lang=en