HOUSTON:
Creating history, Indian-American KP George was sworn in as Fort Bend County Judge in Texas on January 1, in a ceremony attended by people from diverse communities, representing the changing face of the tenth largest county in the state. He took oath on a Bible presented by his wife Sheeba. His mother Eliamma and children, Rohit, Helen and Sneha, along with several relations witnessed the historic event.
George, 53, a Democrat and a trustee of the Fort Bend Independent School District Board, defeated incumbent Republican Judge Robert Hebert with a record number of votes.
County Judge is the head of the county with 3000 employees, $370 million budget and about 800,000 people. It is mostly an administrative office rather than a judicial one. His immediate plans include better emergency preparation, flood-control and more transparency in government.
George, a native of Kerala came to the US in 1993. He moved to Fort Bend County in 1999 from New York.
He spoke about his humble beginnings in South India. ‘I will continue spreading the word of county services and involving all people into the process. It is a historic moment for me as well as for the county.
‘We will continue to have an open-door policy for the most diverse county which represents people who speak over 100 languages. We are here to represent each one of them and ensure a better place for residents and children of this county,’ George said.
George is the 46th judge and the first non-white elected to the position. ‘I broke a glass ceiling. People from all sorts of minority backgrounds, they all want to talk with me. It’s a wonderful thing, to inspire people,’ he told the Houston Chronicle earlier.
According to Rice professor Mark Jones, KP George is now the most prominent Indian-American to hold an executive position in U.S. government, though there are a few Congressmen and state legislators from the community.
George’s election was a surprise to many. ‘He was not someone on our radar,’ Gautam Raghavan, executive director of the Indian-American Impact Fund, who later joined as chief of staff of Rep. Pramila Jayapal, told Chronicle. ‘It wasn’t a race we engaged in. In hindsight, that’s a lesson for us: In some of these places with fast-shifting demographics, like the Texas suburbs, there are huge opportunities for us.’
George owns and manages a financial planning firm.
He first ran for office in 2010, hoping to be elected county treasurer. In a Congressional Primary he lost for about 100 votes. In 2014, he ran for Fort Bend ISD school board and won. In 2017 he was re-elected with 63.8 percent of the vote.
‘If there is anything anyone can learn from me is persistence. Never give up on your dreams. You know how many said, ‘why do you have to run for county judge? Why not try something smaller. But dreaming is one thing that doesn’t cost you. You need to teach your children to dream big,’ he said
‘Do you know how many times people asked me in Richmond and Rosenberg, ‘Why are you running?’ It’s not easy for a person like me, brown in color, with no political power, no name recognition. I’d say, ‘Because I can. I’m not a felon. I’m a citizen. Thank you, U.S. of A.! I hold your values close to my heart,’ George told the Chronicle
‘We want to make sure Fort Bend County is available, accessible and fair, irrespective of your look, your religion, your faith, your whatever,’ George said earlier.
‘My father was a truck driver and made a few bucks. My mother could not write our own language. I grew up there and now I am standing in front of you as the top elected official of the tenth largest county in the state of Texas. That is what is possible in this country,’ he said at an earlier reception.
George said he prays daily to God. ‘You see something in me, some excitement, some hope for you and your children. So I pray. I say, God, you give me an enormous responsibility so help me so I can rise up to the expectation of Fort Bend County citizens. So I tell you with no doubt, I will rise.’
Taral Patel, 24, who worked as deputy finance director for Jared Polis's
campaign as Governor of Colorado, has taken charge as chief of staff for the County Judge. He graduated from UT Austin in 2016. While attending Cinco Ranch
High School in Fort Bend County in 2012, he met George as he campaigned in the area.
