"I believe that America is the world’s experiment in inclusive, multi-racial democracy and we must protect it. Protecting immigrants and supporting immigration is crucial to that journey. And I will always fight for this experiment. I’m running now because I know that when we commit to inclusive democracy, we can achieve key priorities that no one else thought was possible. Organizations like Second Generation will keep the American Dream alive." - Neil Makhija
Endorsed for Montgomery County Commissioner
Neil Makhija is an attorney, educator, community organizer, civil rights advocate, husband, and son of Indian immigrants.
Neil was born and raised as a son of Indian immigrants in Carbon County, Pennsylvania. He received his B.A. from Sarah Lawrence College, where he studied neuroscience and served as co-president of his class and 2009 commencement speaker. Neil went on to earn his law degree at Harvard Law School, where he founded the HLS Homelessness Coalition and was a Senior Policy Editor on the Harvard Law & Policy Review.
Neil is currently on leave from serving as Executive Director of IMPACT, the nation’s leading South Asian civic organization, and as a Lecturer in election law at the University of Pennsylvania Carey Law School. Neil has served as president of the South Asian Bar Association in Philadelphia and is a member of the board of trustees at his alma mater, Sarah Lawrence College. In 2021, he was listed as one of the “40 under 40” influential people in Pennsylvania by City & State PA.
Neil has been a longtime advocate for underrepresented communities and a champion of voter’s rights. In 2022, his public testimony on the fair redrawing of Pennsylvania’s gerrymandered state house maps helped lead to flipping the chamber for the first time in over a decade. While at IMPACT, Neil has transformed the organization into a national force that has become part of a broad coalition advocating for inclusive policy that affects the South Asian community. In 2021, he was chosen as one of 13 Asian American civil rights leaders to meet President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris at the White House to discuss immigration and voting rights. Neil has led the charge to elect dozens of Indian Americans around the country, as well as in building support to confirm historic judges and other major federal appointments.
Neil’s legal work has focused on issues on consumer protection, worker’s rights, and public interest. In his former law practice, Neil built an experienced background on issues of mental health & addiction. He represented Pennsylvania counties in litigation against Purdue Pharma for causing the opioid crisis, as well as parents and children in the first class action against JUUL Labs, Inc. for the unlawful marketing of e-cigarettes to children. Neil is frequently called upon expert on issues of voting rights and Pennsylvania. His opinions and commentary have been featured in Time, the New York Times, the Wall Street Journal, the Philadelphia Inquirer, CNN, The Intercept, Foreign Policy, POLITICO, and other media outlets across the country.
Should Neil get elected, he would be the first South Asian member of the Montgomery County Board of Commissioners and would represent the largest constituency of any independently-elected Indian American in the country. As Commissioner, Neil would be in charge of overseeing elections in one of Pennsylvania’s most important counties, including the upcoming 2024 presidential election. With over 865,000 people (3x the population of Pittsburgh), Montgomery County is a critical electorate for Democratic voter turnout.
Visit neilmakhija.com for more info.