ENTREPRENEUR Jay Gotra has announced his candidacy for governor of Rhode Island in the 2026 election, becoming the first Indian American Democrat to run for the office in the state.
Gotra launched his campaign with a platform called GRIT, which stands for Grow Rhode Island Together. The campaign focuses on fiscal accountability, business freedom, energy independence, housing access and open government.
Gotra told India Weekly his immigrant background shaped his political views and approach.
“Growing up in Mumbai and then moving to Massachusetts at 15 gave me the gift of seeing life through two very different lenses. When you’ve lived in both worlds, you stop taking things for granted, especially the freedoms and opportunities this country offers,” he said.
“My heroes are people like Gandhi and Mother Teresa, leaders who believed in bringing people together, in servant leadership, in creating change through impact, rather than through politics.
“That philosophy is the foundation of how I lead and why I’m running. I’m not interested in dividing Rhode Island. I want to unite it around results.”
Born in Mumbai, Gotra moved to the US as a teenager. His campaign claimed Gotra built companies generating more than $1 billion in lifetime revenue, including Alliance Security Inc., which grew to $105 million in annual revenue and created 700 jobs in Rhode Island.
Gotra said the milestone carries responsibility. “It means I have a responsibility to lead with integrity and to represent our community in a way that is meaningful and historic, not just as a milestone, but as a statement of what Indians stand for: excellence, grit, and service,” he said.
“India only gained full independence within the last century. The freedoms we enjoy here, to run for office, to speak freely, to build businesses, are freedoms our ancestors literally fought and died for. I don’t take that lightly. When I am elected, I want every Indian American child in this country to look at Rhode Island and know that anything is possible.”
Gotra is registered as a Democrat, but publicly acknowledged that he voted for Donald Trump in the 2024 presidential election.
“I want to be honest with the American people, because I think that is rare enough to mean something. When I stood in that voting booth in 2024, I was not choosing between Republican and Democrat. I was choosing between two leadership failures. Leadership has to come first. Always.”
He also said he remains committed to the Democrats.
“The Democrats Party does not need me to abandon it. It needs people like me to strengthen it. Somewhere in the last decade, we accepted tribalism as our fate. I refuse to accept that.”
Gotra said Indian American voters connect with his focus on leadership and results over party politics.
“Indian Americans are the most pragmatic, practical voters in the country. They make decisions based on outcomes, what is best for their children, their families, their communities. They don’t vote based on tribalism. They vote based on intelligence and impact,” he told India Weekly.
“That resonates deeply with my campaign, because I believe government should be run like a business, with accountability, with measurable results, and with a clear return on investment for the people. Our faith also calls us to create value in the world. That is what I intend to do as governor.”
His campaign focuses on the state’s economic and fiscal issues.
“Rhode Island has a $398m structural deficit and is ranked 47th in fiscal responsibility. Our pension system is only 60 per cent funded. Businesses are leaving. Taxes are too high. The people of this state are hardworking and they deserve a government that is equally hardworking on their behalf,” Gotra said.
“My GRIT platform, Grow Rhode Island Together, is built around four priorities: fiscal accountability, bringing businesses back to Rhode Island, investing in our workforce, and restoring trust in government.”
He added: “I’ve built a $105 million company and created 700 jobs in this state. I know how to run an organization, manage a budget, and deliver results. Rhode Island doesn’t need another politician. It needs a CEO with GRIT.”
Gotra also referred to a civil lawsuit filed in 2023 by the Rhode Island Attorney General against his solar energy company. He has denied personal wrongdoing and continues to fight the case as a pro se defendant.
He also made a pledge tied to the state’s financial performance if elected governor. “I am making a commitment no career politician would dare make: when I am elected, if Rhode Island is not fiscally profitable by the end of my first term, I will not run for a second. That is not a talking point. It is a personal commitment, the same kind I made when I started a company with nothing and promised my employees I would make payroll.”
The Democrats primary is scheduled for September 9, while the general election will take place on November 3, 2026. Gotra lives in East Greenwich with his three daughters and son.
