New York: Mikey Hothi has been unanimously elected mayor of The City of Lodai, Northern California. He has become the first Sikh to achieve the top position in the history of the city. Hothi’s parents are from Punjab. Hothi was nominated by newly elected woman councillor Lisa Craig, who won the election from mayor Mark Chandler’s seat in November and was unanimously elected deputy mayor during Wednesday’s meeting.
Hothi represents the fifth district of the council and has served as deputy mayor under mayor Chandler last year. Chandler had announced last summer that he would not run for re-election. “Honoured to be sworn in as the 117th Mayor of Lodai City,” Hothi tweeted on Friday.
Hothi’s family was also instrumental in the establishment of the gurdwara on Armstrong Road, a local newspaper reported. “Our experience is similar to that of the Greek community, the German, Hispanic (Spanish-speaking) community that came before us. Everyone came to Lodai because they realised that it was a safe city for the family.”
The city has great education, great culture, great values and only hard working people. I am proud to represent this community as the next mayor. Hothi, who studied at Tokey High School in 2008, said it was a challenge to move forward in the city after the 9/11 terror attacks, when many Muslims and Sikhs faced undue harassment but his family not only survived but also moved on in Lodai.