WASHINGTON, DC: Aneesh Paul Chopra, who served as the first Chief Technology Officer of the United States, appointed by President Barack Obama, resigned from his position last year, to run for public office. He is now poised to become the Lt. Gov. of the Commonwealth of Virginia on a Democratic ticket, with straw polls showing him in front of his GOP opponent.

Chopra, who has also served as Virginia’s Secretary of Technology under Gov. Tim Kaine, in an exclusive interview to The American Bazaar at a fund-raiser for him organized by prominent community leader Lavika Bhagat Singh, lays down his vision for the future, if he succeeds in winning the elections next month, on June 11^th.

Excerpts from the interview:

Why did you decide to come back to Virginia, given your position as the first Chief Technology Officer of the United States?

I was very proud of my services as the President’s Chief Technology Officer and as Governor Kaine’s Secretary of Technology. During the time of my service, Virginia has been the best managed state, the best place for business, and the best place to raise a family. And I feel very strongly that the best days of Virginia are ahead of us. But for the past three years, our leadership in Richmond has taken us down a slightly different path, rather than focusing on our human capital, making sure that we have educational opportunities for everyone, research and development to make new jobs, and making sure that we are well connected. I want to make sure that Virginia is just as effective for the next 20 years as it was in the past 20-30 years. And that leadership requires a change in direction in Richmond today. I am running for Lieutenant Governor because I believe I can make that change.

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