Ravinder Bhalla is an American politician who became the first turban-wearing Sikh American elected mayor in U.S. history when he won Hoboken’s mayoral race in 2017. A civil rights attorney before entering public office, he built a broad coalition through years of local service and grassroots organizing. His election challenged long-standing assumptions about religious visibility in American politics and demonstrated that Sikh candidates could win executive office while openly embracing their faith and identity.
