Taking office on January 1, 2013, Sam Singh was the first Indian-American to serve in the Michigan House, and that made him the first Indian-American to serve as minority leader when he became the chamber’s top Democrat on January 11, 2017.
In fact, Singh has a knack for making history.
Before joining the Legislature, he was one the state’s youngest city council members when he joined the East Lansing council at age 24. He served a dozen years there, two of them as the city’s youngest mayor — the first person of color to hold that position.
He’s long said his parents, who came to the U.S. from India before he was born, taught him the value of what this country gives to its people and the importance of giving back.
He has also served as the president and CEO of the Michigan Nonprofit Association and worked on the New Economy Initiative. He holds a history degree from MSU.
Having spent the entirety of his House career in the Democratic minority, Singh has seen only six of his bills signed into law by Republican Gov. Rick Snyder. But he said he’s still made a difference by using the bully pulpit to force the GOP majority to focus on his issues: schools, roads and higher education.
Sources:
Justin A. Hinkley, “State Rep. Sam Singh (repeatedly) made Michigan history“, Lansing State Journal, June 21, 2018.