Jay Vaingankar - NJ Exit Interviews Podcast Episode 4

In our fourth episode, we sit down with Jay Vaingankar, a 28-year-old congressional candidate running for New Jersey's 12th Congressional District. The son of Indian immigrants who grew up in Mercer County, Jay's journey took him from community organizing in his high school to the Biden White House and the Department of Energy before returning home to run for Congress.Jay discusses how growing up in one of the most diverse communities in the country shaped his worldview, his time working on COVID operations in the White House, his work on clean energy policy at the Department of Energy, and why he believes a new generation needs to step up to make New Jersey more affordable.Topics CoveredGrowing up in Mercer County as the son of Indian immigrantsCommunity organizing and political awakening at PennWorking in the Biden White House on COVID operationsClean energy investment at the Department of EnergyNew Jersey's housing affordability crisis and the generational divideEnergy costs, PJM, and the case for local clean energyThe Gateway Tunnel and the future of NJ TransitRunning for Congress at 28 in a crowded NJ-12 primaryAbout the GuestJay Vaingankar is a congressional candidate for New Jersey's 12th Congressional District. Born and raised in the Hightstown-East Windsor area of Mercer County, Jay attended the Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania where he earned a B.S. in Economics. After organizing volunteers from New Jersey to help flip Pennsylvania in the 2020 election, he was appointed to the Biden White House, where he worked on COVID operations and management. He later served at the Department of Energy, focusing on clean energy investment and policy.At 28, Jay is the youngest candidate in the NJ-12 race and the only one with federal agency experience. He is running on a platform centered on housing affordability, clean energy, healthcare, and transit investment. A fluent Spanish speaker who grew up in a community of 63 languages, Jay describes himself as a proud son of Central Jersey, living off Exit 8 on the Turnpike."New Jersey has the highest rate in the country of people our age still living with our parents. 43% of us aged 25 to 35 are living with our parents. It's twice the national average."