Washington: Democrat Ranjeev Puri has been elected Speaker of the Michigan House of Representatives, becoming the first Indian-American to hold the post.
“Today, I’m humbled to be elected by my colleagues as Speaker of the Michigan House,” Puri said in a Facebook post on Thursday.
Puri, 42, said he looked forward to working with Senate Majority Leader-Elect Darrin Camilleri and Governor-Elect Jocelyn Benson to deliver on the promises made during the election campaign.
“Thank you to my colleagues for your trust. Excited to get to work,” he said.
Puri became the first Sikh American elected to the Michigan House of Representatives in 2020.
Born to Punjabi immigrants, he was appointed leader of the Democratic Party in the Republican-controlled, 110-member House of Representatives in 2025. He is currently serving his third term as a state representative.
“When my parents immigrated to this country, they couldn’t have imagined their son would one day make history, break barriers and lead the Michigan House. That is the promise of America,” Puri said.
Puri worked on former US president Barack Obama's presidential campaigns in 2008 and 2012. He later earned an MBA from the University of Chicago Booth School of Business before returning to Michigan, where he worked in the automotive industry.
Congratulating Puri, Chintan Patel, executive director of Indian American Impact, said he had made lowering costs a central focus of his work, including in healthcare and housing.
“Congratulations to Ranjeev Puri on his reelection and on being elected Speaker-Elect by his colleagues. Ranjeev has made lowering costs central to his work, from health care to housing,” Patel said.
Patel added that Puri would also work to protect South Asian communities and other residents of Michigan amid what he described as rising hate targeting South Asians, and oppose the Trump and 'MAGA' agenda.
“With Ranjeev leading the caucus, we have no doubt they will lower costs and make life more affordable for Michigan families. Impact was an early supporter of Ranjeev, and we are proud to call him a friend. We look forward to working with him to deliver for Michigan,” Patel said.
