Charuni Patibanda-Sanchez, the Secretary of State of Delaware, and the first person of Indian descent to hold the position nationwide, has called on Indian Americans to increase their participation in government, particularly at the county and state levels.

“Because those are the levels where life changing decisions are made that really impact our community and our day-to-day lives. I say a lot to Indians in my state, we give back so much of contributions to this country after being granted different visas. We are very high earners. We give to charities, we build temples, we build community, but we are not recognized in that way in our state and local governments,” Patibanda-Sanchez said at a community meet-and-greet in Loudoun County on August 16, 2025.

The gathering, hosted at the Brambleton home of Ravi Thudi and Vasavi Thudi, drew about 50 members of the Telugu community. Virginia State Senator Kannan Srinivasan and Delegate JJ Singh also attended.

“We don’t have any Indians elected officials in my State of Delaware. So, you all are very lucky,” she remarked, stressing the importance of having leaders who represent “not just your life in Loudoun County, but also your values and your perspectives of being immigrants in this country. You’re so lucky to have that infrastructure set up here, and it’s really not very common across our country.”

Patibanda-Sanchez also highlighted Delaware’s court system, describing it as “business friendly” and a key factor in the state’s appeal to companies.

“When you list your risk of litigation, if you’re incorporated in Delaware, you have some assurance that your case is going to be handled quickly and fairly. And so that’s what our courts have offered for literally hundreds of years, and that’s why so many companies have registered their businesses in Delaware,” she explained.

As part of her current role, she shared details of her involvement in various state commissions, her work to expand Delaware’s port, and her efforts toward criminal justice reform. Expressing her ambition to one day run for elected office, she said, “Being appointed is an honor, but it was done by one person… but to have the privilege of representing people who directly voted for me is definitely something I want to do.”

Patibanda-Sanchez encouraged South Asians to pursue public service by serving on boards and commissions. At the event, she also engaged with local youth and interns, answering their questions about civic participation and leadership.

Reflecting on her family roots, she shared that her mother was born in Bombay, and her maternal grandfather, physicist A.S. Rao, founded the Electronics Corporation of India Limited in Hyderabad. Her paternal grandfather, who died before she was born, a Telugu poet and educator, who established several schools near Vijayawada, authored the poetry collection Charuni Devi. Patibanda-Sanchez was named after the title character in his work.

She congratulated Delegate Singh on his election victory, calling him an “incredible leader” and an “inspiration,” to many. 

Singh, in turn, recalled first meeting Patibanda-Sanchez when he served as an economic policy advisor to Senator Chris Coons of Delaware. At that time, she interned at the Senator’s office. 

He described her as an “exceptionally smart, driven intern,” who excelled at every task. After relocating to California, she was recruited by New Castle County Executive Matt Meyer for economic development initiatives in Wilmington. Later, she was appointed Delaware’s Secretary of State by the Governor in January 2025.

Singh also discussed his joint legislative efforts with Senator Srinivasan, including bills to underground power lines, a growing need as data centers consume vast amounts of electricity.

“We were able to get a version of a bill to underground power lines through one of the chambers, but it faced obstacles elsewhere. So, we’re going to keep pushing. We’ve got a letter that we’re writing that’s going to come out this week to the VA State Corporation Commission about power lines. So that’s one thing we’re proud of,” he said.

He also highlighted their collaborative work on legislation promoting safe gun storage to reduce accidental deaths and a bill to increase transparency for Uber drivers.

Srinivasan echoed Singh’s remarks, adding that his own legislative focus has been on healthcare, energy, and economic development. Ahead of the upcoming SCC meeting on September 18 and 29, he emphasized, “we are committed to pushing it and making sure that everything is done,” to ensure safety remains the top priority.

He also shared that he was recently nominated by Senate leadership to attend the Legislative Energy Horizon Institute in Washington, a program that educates policymakers on North America’s energy infrastructure.

With Loudoun County home to one of the world’s largest concentrations of data centers, Srinivasan underscored the urgency of energy policy. “I’m trying to learn as much as I can, as fast as I can, so that we bring innovative solutions, not just to Loudoun, but to Virginia,” he said.

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