George is thus far the only Democratic nominee who has filed papers to run for the Texas 22nd district seat, which is currently held by Rep. Pete Olson, a Republican who has served in that district since 2008. The state is going through an exhaustive redistricting process: District 22's interim map covers the southwest corner of the state, including Sugarland, Pecan Grove, South Houston and Santa Fe. "The immigrant community is a driving force in the redevelopment of the American economy. We are a very law-abiding and affluent community, but at the same time, there are a lot of people who believe immigrants are taking away American jobs," George told India-West in a telephone interview, ahead of his campaign kick-off the following day. "Who is defending immigrants in Congress? Who understands the pulse of our community?" queried George, a certified financial planner who lives in Sugarland, Texas with his wife Sheeba, a teacher, and their three children, Rohit, 16, Helen Marie, 15, and Sneha, nine. One of George's top priorities, if he wins a Congressional seat, is to protect Medicare programs for America's senior citizens. "I come from a culture where we respect our seniors, and where their children are their social security," said George. "I would never throw seniors under the bus to balance our budget," said the 47-year-old Indian American, who opposes a plan to replace Medicare with privatized health insurance. George noted that his opponent Olson voted for such a plan in April. Access to health care is a cornerstone of his campaign, noted George, recalling an accident his sister Helen Marie suffered 15 years ago, which left her with burns over 75 percent of her body. The family waited at a hospital for two hours before Helen Marie was admitted, because hospital administrators were concerned about who was going to pay for her care, recalled George. Helen Marie was never put on a ventilator and died several days later, he said. "Health care is a passion for me. I don't want to see anyone turned away because they can't pay," stated George. "I believe in fair market capitalism, but we cannot ignore the poor and the sick," he said. A balanced budget can be achieved by creating more jobs, said George, noting that tax benefits and incentives to hire more people must be made available to small businesses, which are the backbone of the U.S. economy. On his Web site, George noted the need for more oil production in Texas, which would bring in more jobs to the state in trucking, construction and engineering.
The 47-year-old Kerala native told India-West that he grew up in Kokkathodu without shoes and just one set of clothes, which were washed twice a week. Kokkathodu, 75 miles from Kottayam, still has no electricity or running water, and the nearest school is two miles away. "I understand what the poor are going through, because I've been there myself," he said. Despite such encumbrances, George's father, a $5 a day farmer, managed to put all six of his children through primary school and college. "My father always used to say, 'I'm going to give you an education. That's all I can give you, but no one can take that away from you,'" recalled George. The young George attended Kerala University and earned his bachelors' degree in science. He then immigrated to the U.S. in 1993, with only a rudimentary knowledge of English, and married Sheeba that same year. George has since earned several financial certifications and licenses, and owns a financial planning practice. Olson has received almost $1.5 million from lobbyists during his three years in office, noted George, who has pledged to run a campaign free of funds from special interest groups. "We're going to run a grass-roots level, principled campaign," asserted George, whose campaign manager is 18-year-old Paral Patel.