Poonam Gill for Indiana :: A remarkable mom in the spotlight
We're kinda proud parents over here lately. Why? Poonam Gill - one of our original CityMoms - is running for State Representative of Indiana. Her gumption, grit and determination always dazzled us. And now, she's poised to do just that on a statewide level. Who knows? Maybe one day the globe. So excuse us if you hear chants of "Poonam Gill for Indiana!" over here. But we're all kinds of smitten with Poonam's drive to do more. Go momma go. Two words: Political Playdates. Genius, am I right? Native Hoosier Poonam Gill, a mother of three children and one of the original members of theCityMoms, realizes that parents care about politics. In fact, they care a whole lot. So she decided to “meet them where they are” both literally and metaphorically and held several campaign events at local libraries and other kid-friendly establishments. She calls it “thinking outside of the box,” but her refreshing take on politics doesn’t stop there.
Poonam Gill was born and raised in Indiana.
She attended school at Purdue University where she studied electrical engineering. Now she and her husband are raising their three young children right here in the place she loves so much. A successful mother and professional, Gill has also been very active in her community, but after the 2016 election she just knew she needed to do more. What she saw was a community that needed help, but what she didn’t see were any faces like hers doing the helping. Where were the engineers? The working mothers? Diverse women? “I knew I wanted to do something,” Gill said, “I just wasn’t sure what that was.”
Hardly a stranger to the difficult and neverending balancing act of motherhood and work life, Gill decided to run for local office, and on November 6 her name will be on the ballot for State Representative of District 88. She runs in opposition of current incumbent Brian Bosma who has himself amassed a host of recent headlines. She believed then and believes even more now that running for office would allow her to affect change for the largest number of people in her beloved community. “Once I made the decision, I never looked back,” she said. Gill had some help getting from “I want to do something” to running for office. First, she was paired with an amazing mentor, a woman who had previously run for local office. Second, she was supported by some amazing organizations that help newcomers to politics like Gill navigate the new terrain. Women for Change Indiana, Hoosier Women Forward, and the Emerging Leaders program with the Democratic party provided Gill all the resources she needed to hit the ground running.Now in the final month of the campaign, Gill isn’t slowing down at all, and she faces many of the challenges that all multi-tasking parents face. Forgetting to pack a lunch for school, leaving work early for a kid’s doctor’s appointment, but some of her challenges are more unique, for instance knocking on doors in her community, while still making it back in time to celebrate her son’s fourth birthday. “Being a mom is still the hardest job in the world,” she said.
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In this tough political climate, Poonam Gill is actually reminded every day why there are ample reasons to be optimistic. “I really love getting out there and talking to voters,” she said. Her door knocking has reinforced a truth that is worth hearing right now: “Most Hoosiers are really moderate. We all care about the future of our state,” she said. And most importantly, the lesson she has learned is this: “We have so much more in common than we don’t.”
What keeps Gill motivated to run this race? Great education for all Hoosier children. Safety in schools. Making sure our environment is safe and healthy for our children and their children. She will spend the rest of October and the beginning of November trying to strike that balance between running a campaign and raising a family and is hopeful that she will be given an opportunity to serve a state she loves wholeheartedly.
MORE DETAILS: Your chance to make your voice heard is coming on Tuesday, November 6, 2018 - Election Day. While the deadline to register to vote has passed, you can confirm your registration and poll location at vote.org. To learn more about Poonam Gill and her campaign visit gillforindiana.com.
This piece was researched and written by theCityMoms staff and is not sponsored nor endorsed in any way by the Gill For Indiana campaign. We truly are just that thrilled at this CityMom's success and happy to help push the envelope forward for this strong and powerful candidate.
