Pramila Jayapal is the First Indian-American Woman in the U.S. House of Representatives

Pramila Jayapal, a Washington state senator, has become the first Indian-American woman elected to the House of Representatives, and alongside California's Kamala D. Harris, one of the first two Indian-American women to be elected to Congress.

She beat her opponent, Democrat Brady Walkinshaw, in a landslide victory, winning 57 percent of the vote to his 43 percent. The Nation notes that Jayapal was "one of the first 2016 congressional candidates" to earn an endorsement from Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders, who said, "When you think of the political revolution, I want you to think about Pramila."

In a statement to Twitter on Tuesday, Jayapal wrote, "Thank you for your support, faith, and confidence, and for standing up for the values of our country — values that welcomed me as a 16-year-old immigrant and let me serve as the next Congresswoman from the 7th Congressional District."

[twitter align='center' id='796218508216369152' username='PramilaJayapal']https://twitter.com/PramilaJayapal/status/796218508216369152" >

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Jayapal was a former banker turned activist who advocated for the rights of immigrants, women, and people of color.

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