Upendra J. Chivukula
| Upendra Chivukula | |
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| New Jersey Board of Public Utilities Commissioner | |
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Assumed office September 30, 2014 |
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| Preceded by | Jeanne Fox |
| Member of the New Jersey General Assembly from the 17th Legislative District |
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In office January 8, 2002 – September 30, 2014 |
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| Preceded by | Bob Smith |
| Succeeded by | Joseph Danielsen |
| Mayor of Franklin Township | |
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In office January 1, 2000 – December 31, 2000 |
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| Deputy Mayor of Franklin Township | |
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In office January 1, 1998 – December 31, 1998 |
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| Member of the Franklin Township Council from the 5th Ward | |
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In office January 1, 1998 – December 31, 2005 |
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| Preceded by | Jack Shreve |
| Succeeded by | James Vassanella |
| Personal details | |
| Born |
October 8, 1950 Nellore, Madras State (now in Andhra Pradesh), India) |
| Political party | Democratic |
| Residence | Somerset neighborhood of Franklin Township, Somerset County, New Jersey |
| Alma mater | B.E.E. Guindy Engineering College (Electrical Engineering) M.E.E. City College of New York (Electrical Engineering) |
| Occupation | Engineer |
| Religion | Hinduism |
| Website | Democracy for America Page [3] |
Upendra Chivukula (born October 8, 1950) is a Democratic politician who currently serves as a Commissioner on the New Jersey Board of Public Utilities after serving more than 12 years in the New Jersey General Assembly, where he had been the Deputy Speaker.
On September 18, 2014, Chivukula was nominated by Governor Chris Christie to a seat on the New Jersey Board of Public Utilities, to replace retiring NJ BPU Commissioner Jeanne Fox. The New Jersey Senate voted 35–1 to confirm Chivukula to a six-year term on the New Jersey Board of Public Utilities on September 22, 2014.
Chivukula is an advocate for raising the minimum wage, supporting social security and medicare, and investing in public education. In 2014 he ran in the Democratic primary to fill retiring Congressman Rush Holt's seat in Congress, but he did not win the nomination.
Chivukula served in the New Jersey General Assembly from 2002–2014, where he represented the 17th Legislative District. In 2001, Chivukula became the first Indian American elected to the New Jersey General Assembly and the fourth Indian-American in the United States to be elected to state office.
Chivukula served as the New Jersey General Assembly's Deputy Speaker from 2007–2014. Chivukula was noted for being a strongly progressive legislator and, in coordination with Congressman Rush D. Holt, Jr., pushed through reforms to invest in clean energy, infrastructure projects and high-tech manufacturing jobs.
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