Answering the call to service

Half-Kashmiri, half-Sikh Krystle Kaul of Ashburn, Virginia, has thrown her hat in the ring, running for a seat in the U.S. House of Representatives. Kaul, a second-generation, Indian American, is running as a Democratic candidate for Virginia’s 10th district.

She will be the first Kashmiri-Sikh American to win a congressional seat if elected.

Kaul says she is running for Congress because she has the energy, experience, and courage to confront challenges head-on. She will fight for democracy she says, and focus on protecting reproductive health freedoms which she says are under attack, and ensure gun safety to keep schools and communities safe.

Kaul, a former defense contractor, has spent her career protecting her country. An expert in the defense and intelligence community, she has worked with US Central Command to the Pentagon and has regional expertise from the Middle East to South Asia.   She served as a Director (GS-15) of the Defense Threat Reduction Agency at the Department of Defense, the Director of Strategic Communications of the U.S. Air Force for General Dynamics Information Technology, and as an Intelligence Political-Military Expert at U.S. Central Command.

As a small business owner, Kaul’s priorities also will include supporting the small business owners fueling the local economy. and livable wages for families.

“I will always fight against any legislation that attacks our freedoms or enemies that threaten our way of life, ” adds Kaul.

The American Dream

Kaul, an Indian American with Kashmiri and Punjabi roots practices both Hinduism and Sikhism. Her grandfather immigrated to the United States and worked as an insurance agent to support his family. She “knows firsthand the power of the American dream, ” says Kaul. She speaks nine languages including Hindi, Urdu, Spanish, Arabic, Punjabi, Italian, Dari, and Kashmiri. Her favorite pastimes include baking, rollerblading, and spending quality time with her family and friends.

Kaul holds a B.A. from American University and master’s degrees from Johns Hopkins University School of Advanced International Studies (SAIS) and Brown University where she was working on her Ph.D in Political Science.

“As your next congresswoman, I will fight to ensure the same opportunities that enabled my immigrant grandparents to achieve their American dream remain accessible to all,” she says.