Racism loses as New Jersey elects first Sikh mayor

You may have read a few days ago about a certain Sikh person running for the Mayoral seat in Hoboken, New Jersey, and how some unsavoury characters tried to undermine his bid by spreading racist and hate-mongering flyers to dissuade voters from choosing him.

Now, the polls are over, the dust has settled and Ravi Bhalla, the Sikh man in question, has risen as the mayor of the small town.

Thank you Hoboken. I look forward to being your Mayor! #TeamBhalla #FinishedStrong pic.twitter.com/UKPuXkDWGX

— Ravinder S. Bhalla (@RaviBhalla) November 8, 2017

Bhalla wasn't the only one who won over hate, though, as a Chinese and another Indian were elected onto a school board in Edison, also in New Jersey, amid hate-filled flyers demanding they should be deported and that Indians and Chinese were "stealing" jobs.

This is what political campaigning looks like in Edison, NJ

"The Chinese and Indians are taking over our town" pic.twitter.com/Pb4VdWzHui

— Khaled Beydoun (@KhaledBeydoun) November 2, 2017

VIRGINIA MADE HISTORY TODAY!

1st trans state legislator in the US #DanicaRoem

1st Asian American (Vietnamese) woman in House of Delegates #KathyTran

2nd Asian American woman (1st Filipina) in House of Delegates! #KellyFowler

— hjm (@tosomefortune) November 8, 2017

Congratulations, NJ! You look like you just lost 300 pounds.

— Mana Yegani (@Law_Mana) November 8, 2017

Thanks for running a campaign rooted in decency and dignity, Ravi. Your inclusiveness and @dawnzimmernj's backing won my vote. Now do our whole city proud. :)

— Myles Helfand (@myhelfy) November 8, 2017

The hate-encrusted Mayoral polls in Hoboken were condemned by Ravi Bhalla's rival, Mike DeFusco, who had originally created the flyer, associating Bhalla with a "potential conflict of interest", a markedly more decent means of combating a rival than outright calling them a terrorist.