Who's Hirsh Vardhan Singh? Indian-American announces 2024 US presidential bid

Hirsh Vardhan Singh, an Indian-American engineer, has announced his bid for the White House, becoming the third person of Indian descent after Nikki Haley and Vivek Ramaswamy to join the crowded Republican field of candidates vying to become US President in 2024.

In a video message posted on Twitter, Singh, 38, said that he is a lifelong Republican and America First conservative who worked to restore a conservative wing of the New Jersey Republican Party.

“We need strong leadership to reverse the changes that have occurred in the past few years and restore American values. That is why I have decided to seek the Republican Party’s nomination for the 2024 election for the office of president of the United States,” Singh said on Friday in a 3-minute video.

Watch | Vivek Ramaswamy, Nikki Haley join race for US President election

He officially filed his candidacy with the Federal Election Commission on Thursday, reported The Hill newspaper on Friday. He referred to himself as the only pure-blood candidate in the recent video because he never gave in to the COVID vaccinations.

Prior to Singh, former South Carolina Governor Haley, 51, and millionaire entrepreneur Ramaswamy, 37, announced their candidacy from the Republican Party for the top US post earlier this year.

Who is Hirsh Vardhan Singh?

Born to Indian immigrant parents on March 13 in 1985, Hirsh Vardhan Singh is an American engineer and businessman from Atlantic City, New Jersey. Singh pursued his bachelor’s degree in engineering from the New Jersey Institute of Technology in 2009. After completing his studies, he assisted his father in running their family firm, which specialised in missile defence, satellite navigation, and aviation security. The American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics presented Singh with the Aviation Ambassador award in 2003.

Singh joined New Jersey politics in 2017 as a governor candidate, receiving a $1 million donation from his father. As per The Hill, he received just 9.9% of the vote, placing third in the election. Following that, he ran unsuccessfully for US Senate and Congress in 2018, US Senate in 2020, and governor in 2021. He became known for his unsuccessful campaigns and volatile personality.

Also read: Indian-American Nikki Haley formally launches her 2024 presidential bid

In his most recent run for governor, he campaigned as a more conservative option more closely aligned with former president Trump than the eventual nominee, Jack Ciattarelli, but he came in third for the nomination.

Singh is one of several long-shot candidates in the race, including former Cranston, Rhode Island, Mayor Steve Laffey, Michigan businessman Perry Johnson and Texas pastor Ryan Binkley.