Winning streak of Pakistani-American Salman Bhojani continues in Texas

The steady rise of Salman Bhojani is one of the best examples of what people in the United States call the American dream.

Salman Bhojani is the first South Asian and the first Muslim American voted into the Texan House of Representatives. And from January 2025, he is serving the second straight term.

In state elections held on November 5, 2024, Bhojani, a staunch Democrat, got elected unopposed. That too, in a Republican state.

He represents District 92, one of the most diverse areas in the state, and secured 35,166 votes (100%).

During his campaign, Bhojani highlighted the importance of local and state elections, urging different communities, including American Pakistanis, to exercise their influence through voting.

Earlier, on March 5, 2024, he advanced from the Democratic Primary unchallenged. Then he bagged 4,175 votes (100%).

For the campaign, community personalities like Abbas S Valliani, Firoz Dhamani, Ziauddin Shams, Asif Virani and Charles Butt Public Education PAC funded him generously.

At the same time, influential state groups including Ecc LLC, Eric Pelfrey, Fort Worth Firefighters, Texas Trial Lawyers Association PAC, Adam Jacob Loewy and many others also contributed to Bhojani’s campaign.

The reason was obvious. Back in 2022, Bhojani had defeated Republican rival Joe Levingston by a big margin.

The Democrat had secured 20,182 votes (58%) to Levingston’s 14,610 votes (42%). However, at that time, Bhojani had a relatively competitive primary.

On March 1, 2022, he contested against Tracy Scott and Dinesh Sharma. Bhojani had got 3,759 or 57.6% votes. These were more than double the combined votes of Tracy’s 1,661 (25.4%) and Dinesh’s 1,107 (17%).

At that time, his rival Joe Levingston had won the primary unopposed with 4,899 votes (100%).

Oath on Holy Quran

Bhojani first assumed state office on January 10, 2023. He set the record by taking an oath on Holy Quran. And also, for taking the Holy Quran to the State Assembly Chapel where now anyone can read it.

In the first term, Bhojani was one of the second top Democrats of the nine-member Criminal Jurisprudence Committee which also had five Republicans.

And top Democrat member of the Pensions, Investments and Financial Services Committee equally had four Democrats and five Republicans.

The American-Pakistani politician has also served as chairman of the Criminal Procedure Subcommittee on the House Committee on Criminal Jurisprudence.

Political journey

Bhojani’s political journey had started at the council level. In May 2018, he was the first minority council member elected in the history of the city of Euless, Texas. Next, he was chosen to serve as Mayor Pro Tem during the last year in office.

It was despite the Islamophobic remarks by his opponent Molly Maddux.

In order to stop Bhojani’s march to victory, then Republican State Representative Johnathan Stickland had also jumped in. He tried to scare constituents by labelling the American-Pakistani as a "sneaky" Muslim lawyer.

It is irony of the fate that in 2021, Stickland had to leave the State Assembly before Bhojani was welcomed in the House the next year. Needless to mention, since 2012, this firebrand orator has been on a winning streak.

So, how he entered politics?

Bhojani says the credit goes to President Donald Trump "who did so much against Muslims" in his first tenure. It convinced him Muslim Americans must play an active role in the political process.

"If you don’t have a seat on the table then you are on the menu. And It’s not good to be on the menu. Muslims were already on the menu for far too long," Bhojani told Geo News.

After assuming office, Bhojani set health, education, equality and civil rights as his top priorities.

Laws enacted by Bhojani

The legislation introduced or sponsored by Salman Bhojani is helping all Texans. Yet, as a Muslim politician of South Asian heritage, immigrant communities are his main focus.

Amid the crisis in the Middle East, Bhojani led an effort to divert the attention of Governor Greg Abbott to the massacre of Palestinians.

The resolution, drafted by him, lamented that Governor was outspoken against antisemitism but silent about Islamophobia in Texas.

Some laws were also made to facilitate students of different cultures and religious backgrounds.

Throughout the state, students from religious minorities used to face challenges in attending schools during their sacred days.

Hence, a bill was passed to administer assessments of such students on some other days.

Now schools in Texas are barred from administering assessments on Eid al-Adha, Eid al-Fitr, Diwali, Vaisakhi, Vesak, All Saints Day, Christmas, Passover, Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur.

He sponsored another bill that expanded the list of optional holidays. Now, Eid al-Fitr, Eid al-Adha, Good Friday, All Saints’ Day, Rosh Hashanah, Yom Kippur, Lunar New Year, Dashera, Vaisakhi, Vesak, Diwali and Holidays.

By amending the Texas Family Code, he played an important role in authorising individuals like Muslim Imams, Hindu Pundits, Sikh Granthis, Buddhist Monks and some other religious persons to conduct a marriage ceremony.

Otherwise, only ordained Christian ministers, priests, Rabbis and current or former federal or state judges had the right to do that. This law takes effect on September 1, 2025.

He also amended a law to increase health benefits coverage of telemedicine, teledentistry and telehealth appointments even if the site is located outside of Texas. This law will be applicable on September 1, 2025.

Another amendment repeals "a provision that previously allowed plans to limit, deny, or reduce coverage for these services based on the platform used by the healthcare provider."

By amending the Texas Family Code, he helped enact a law that ensures the payment of support rights and benefits for a child placed with a relative or other designated caregiver. The law takes effect on September 1, 2025.

Bhojani has made sure the latest technologies are fully used in the day-to-day affairs of the state.

He had sponsored a bill that directed the General Land Office to conduct a study on "establishing and implementing a distributed ledger-based title registry pilot program to record property title transfers using blockchain technology".

The findings of this study and recommendations are expected by January 1, 2027.

In order to stop undue eviction of low-income residential tenants, Bhojani supported a law to create legal service officer positions in the state. The officer equally takes action if a tenant with a disability experiences housing discrimination.

By amending the existing Education Code, he made it possible for all three-year-old kids to have free full-day prekindergarten classes. Till last year, only four years old children were entitled to that.

By another amendment, he got the costs of certification examinations subsidised for teachers and students alike.

Homeless people have also got better recognition in the state. Now, they can easily have certified birth records, personal identification certificate and driver’s license.

The teacher retirement system was made more productive. Hence, for each year of work experience required for certification in a career, up to a maximum of five years, a teacher is entitled to salary step credit.

Basically, the work experience is now considered as teaching experience.

For each annual graduate who demonstrates college, career, or military readiness, a school district is entitled to an annual outcome bonus.

Subsequently, for educationally disadvantaged graduate $5000, for not educationally disadvantage student $3000 and for students enrolled in a special education programmes $2000 are allocated.

In order to streamline medical care, a bill is enacted into law that is related to the presumption of validity for an advance directive and permissible forms of a medical power of attorney.

Basically, this law empowers health caregivers to presume that an advance directive is valid.

A law that takes effect from 2026, gives workers better access to telehealth and telemedicine services.

In 2023, he introduced a bill to raise public school funding. As a result, teacher and staff compensation was significantly increased and certain public school employees received a $15,000 bonus in 2023-2024.

He sponsored a law that provided school district property tax relief through a range of adjustments. One of the key factors was raising the basic allotment per student from $6,160 to $7,160.

Through his efforts, tax exemptions were given to some family care items that include medicines, medical supplies, diapers and baby bottles etc.

In order to stop forced organ harvesting or illegal trade of organs, he sponsored a bill that prohibits health benefit plan coverage of a transplant of an organ that originated from or is transplanted in a country known to have participated in forced organ harvesting.

For the cure of expecting mothers an act was passed related to the duration of services provided under Medicaid to women following a pregnancy. It extends Medicaid coverage for up to 12 months even if there was an involuntary miscarriage.

According to Ballotpedia, a law related to the prosecution of the criminal offence of organised retail theft was also passed.

However, Bhojani was failed to stop state legislators passing a controversial law that enables law enforcement officials to arrest and deport people staying illegally in Texas.

Bhojani told Geo News that the law, passed on a Republican party line, was neither good for the state nor for the taxpayers. He lamented that the amendments proposed by him were not adopted.

"It is unfortunate that our brothers and sisters will be racially profiled as being for the South Asian community based on colour of their skin. This is why I urge all Texans to involve in politics and be civically engaged," Bhojani stressed.

As electric vehicles are fast replacing petroleum products driven cars, there is a need for more charging stations.

In Texas, he helped passed a law that is related to the installation of electric vehicle charging stations at state-owned parking lots and garages.

Through his efforts, the House made it a criminal offencce to possess an animal who has been previously convicted of an offensive involving animal cruelty.

Even the compensation paid to sales agent for Texas Lottery ticket was better managed. Now, the minimum compensation is raised from 5% to 7.5%.

Bhojani along with his fellow State representatives, also recognised March 20, 2023, as Pakistan Day of Action at the State Capitol.

Who is Salman Bhojani?

Salman Bhojani was born in Karachi to a low-middle-class family. Bhojani was 10 when the family immigrated to Canada.

They stayed in Montreal where Bhojani completed Primary and Secondary school. It was 1999 when 19-year-old Bhojani landed in Carrollton, Texas with his family.

The life was tough. Young guy took up jobs at gas stations, mopped floors, cleaned restrooms and stocked shelves.

"I worked three jobs to put food on the table, Bhojani said in an interview about earning six-dollars an hour.

Despite living as paycheck-to-paycheck worker, Bhojani saved some money as he had higher aims. He graduated from the University of Texas in Dallas and earned a law degree from Southern Methodist University.

No surprise that he was the first in his family to graduate from college and earn a professional degree.

Once he was asked about his favorite soccer player. The guy who had spent all his young age studying or working had no clue. His answer was simple, "I love Ping Pong."’

Gradually, Bhojani moved up the ladder. He became the cashier and then manager of a store. Next, he established his own business by buying convenience stores across the DFW Metroplex.

At the same time, he served as an attorney at Haynes and Boone LLP in Dallas before setting up his own law firm, Bhojani Law PLLC.

Life was bliss by now. He settled in Euless, and got married to Nima. And now, he is a proud father of Aarish and Raisha.