Pakistani-American Ali Sheikhani wins constable election in Texas

Pakistani-American Ali Sheikhani has beaten all odds to win a coveted constable position in Fort Bend County, Houston, Texas.

It was an interesting contest between the two American-Pakistani police officers who enjoy big support and huge respect among different communities.

The total votes cast in their Precinct 3 were 76,477. Republican Sheikhani amassed 39,936 or 52.22% votes while his Democrat rival Nabil Shike got 36,541 or 47.78% votes.

Two factors played a crucial role in favour of Sheikhani. First and foremost, he ran a vigorous campaign to reach out to the masses.

Lady luck was with him as a Democratic candidate from the rival political party, who faced serious allegations, opted to stay in the race.

He was Taral Patel of Democratic Party who ran for county commissioner for the same Precinct. As many had predicted, he lost the bid and equally created a ripple down effect on other candidates including Shike.

Out of 75,918 votes cast for the county commissioner, Republican incumbent Andy Meyers bagged 44,271 votes while the Democrat Patel received 30,927 votes.

Taral faced intense pressure to drop out of the race and pave the way for another Democrat to contest the election. Yet, he remained adamant. A Democrat leader of the same precinct said Sheikhani took full advantage of the toxic environment against the Democrats.

In his message, Constable-elect Sheikhani said that he was "grateful beyond words for the incredible support from my friends, family, and volunteers who made this journey possible. This win is for all of us! Thank you for believing in me and standing by my side every step of the way."

He vowed to tirelessly work beyond party affiliation and fulfil campaign promises that included:

• Adding more patrol officers to the neighbourhoods.
• Working with the county to fund the tools and resources law enforcement officers need to keep citizens safe.
• Create faster response times to ensure safety.
• Increasing school safety by adding patrol officers to school zone areas.

Talking to Geo News, Sheikhani said that he "was ready to serve with integrity, dedication, and a promise to deliver positive change".

Unlike Pakistan, a constable in the United States of America is an independent law enforcement agency. Their prime task is to enforce criminal and civil laws, arrest suspects and conduct their own investigations. Yet, they can equally serve legal documents like warrants or perform duties at the polling stations on election day.

On the other hand, his Democratic rival Nabil Shike is now gearing up to contest another election next year. He has recently graduated as a lawyer and will take oath of office by Rabeea Collier. To our reader’s surprise, Rabeea is another American Pakistani who will administer that oath.