On Sunday afternoon, Bryan Allen, the Pennsylvania Democratic Nominee for State Representative in Bensalem Township and Hulmeville (HD-18), hosted a South Asian Community Day of Action; he was joined by State House Representatives Arvind Venkat and Tarik Khan, as well as the honorable Montgomery County Commissioner Neil Makhija. Their shared goal: to spread Allen’s message through as much of the South Asian community as possible.
Bensalem, the largest township in Bryan Allen’s district, is distinct in its demographic make-up. Seated within Bucks County, Bensalem Township is over 13% Indian; while Bucks County is in the 97th percentile for Indian representation in the United States, Bensalem has a higher population than the state and national average. Pennsylvania is a swing-state; within it, Bucks is a swing-county. Races come down to a few handfuls of votes—where every conversation matters immensely. Galvanized, the record breaking numbers in the South Asian community are powerful enough to decide the election.
Candidate for State House Bryan Allen understands the power behind the Indian demographic’s voting bloc, but further, he is dedicated to working and representing every part of Bensalem and Hulmeville—not just the white demographic his opponent, and current incumbent, focuses on. This determination has extended beyond kind words and targeted ads, Allen has sought out experts and community members to cement his efforts. An English speaker, Allen has his canvassing pamphlets and website translated into Gujarati, the most commonly spoken Indian language in Bensalem. Armed with translated materials, Allen has knocked on over 10,000 doors alongside an army of 150 campaign volunteers.
“The Gujarati, Indian, and South Asian Communities of Bensalem and Bucks County contribute every day to the well-being of the region and Pennsylvania. They deserve representation who will always have their backs,” said Representative Arvind Venkat. “As our first and only Indian-American State Representative, I was proud to campaign for Bryan Allen for State House. They are the candidate who will best serve the vibrant Gujarati, Indian, and South Asian communities of lower Bucks County.”
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Venkat serves the 30th district of the Pennsylvania House of Representatives where he represents the North Hill suburbs of Pittsburgh. Despite the distance between the two districts, Venkat has had considerable experience working with Allen through his role as Representative Tina Davis’ Chief of Staff. An emergency physician turned elected representative, Venkat has worked with Allen on numerous occasions over the past four years—the most recent portion of Allen’s 14 years of experience in Harrisburg. The two have worked together frequently to pass groundbreaking legislation through the House, such as Rep. Venkat’s bill to protect vaccine access in Pennsylvania (HB 1828).
Now deep in his own campaign, Allen is able to fight for many of the same priorities he shared with Rep. Venkat: protecting reproductive rights, expanding access to affordable healthcare, and bringing down the cost of living for working families. A two-time Bensalem Township Council member, Bryan Allen is using his experience passing common sense legislation for the township as evidence he’ll be able to fight for the district at the state level.
“I’m fighting for a strong community that helps our working families get ahead. Growing up, my dad was a machinist and my mom worked days while putting herself through nursing school at night. I watched them work tirelessly, just like so many others, to give their kids a better life. As Chief of Staff to Representative Tina Davis, I saw how the right state policies uplifted hard working families by boosting wages, investing in small businesses, and keeping utility and healthcare costs down,” says Bryan Allen. “As billionaires try to force utility rate increases and data center rush-jobs, we deserve elected officials who fight for our working class, not corporations.”
Far before he declared his race for State House, Bryan Allen admired the civic engagement of the Gujarati population in Bucks County. He built relationships and became a regular attendee at Diwali, Navratri, and many other religious celebrations across the year. As councilman and friend, Allen is now a reliable face at BAPS and Samarpam Temple events.
“Large parts of the Indian population in Bucks County had to actively earn their right to participate in Pennsylvania’s elections, so they have a deep appreciation for their right to elect a leader. It’s important to me that they don’t just see my ideas from my website, I want to have those face-to-face conversations and truly earn the trust of the community I hope to serve in the State House,” says Allen.
Their most recent event, Sunday’s Day of Action, was a resounding success, and the campaign force as a whole knocked nearly 2,000 doors while also stopping by a local Navratri celebration. This November’s race will be close, but Allen and Venkat have a shared sense of optimism.
The last day to request a mail-in ballot for the 2026 General Election is October 27th. Online request forms, polling locations, and more can be found at Vote.PA
