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Nimi McConigley (née Swamidoss; born 12 December 1939) is an Indian-born American politician and journalist. A Republican, McConigley served in the Wyoming House of Representatives from 1994 until 1996, where she represented the 59th House district. McConigley, who was born in Madras, was the first Indian-born person and the first Indian American woman to serve in any state legislature.

Early life and education

Nirmala Swamidoss was born on 12 December 1939 in Madras (now Chennai), British India. She did her schooling in Doveton Corrie School in Vepery. She went on to receive a bachelor's degree in Arts from Queen Mary's College and her law degree from the Madras Law College. During the premiership of Indira Gandhi, Swamidoss worked in national news. She went on to study journalism at Columbia University in the 1960s.

Career

After graduating from Columbia University, McConigley went into journalism. She and her family moved to Casper, Wyoming in the 1970s. She became one of only two Asian American news directors when she took that role at CBS affiliate KGWC.

Political career

McConigley served as the campaign manager for state senator Charles Scott, who was running for Governor of Wyoming in the 1994 election. She decided to run for represent the 59th House district in the Wyoming House of Representatives in 1994, where she was elected. McConigley stated that she received private criticism from colleagues after wearing a sari to speak at a high school in Cheyenne. During her tenure in the legislature, she sponsored legislation to make English the state's official language.

Rather than run for reelection, McConigley chose to run for United States Senate in the 1996 election. In a field of nine candidates in the Republican primary, she finished 4th, coming behind Michael Enzi, John Barrasso, and Curt Meier. She ran for the State House in 1998, but lost the general election to Nancy Berry.

Personal life

She married Patrick McConigley and has two daughters, Lila and Nina. She met her husband, a geologist, while working at All India Radio in Madras. In an interview, she recalled choosing to move to Wyoming, initially intended to be temporary before her husband would move to Europe for work, because she was impressed by Jackson Hole. Her daughter Nina McConigley went on to become a writer, whose short story collection Cowboys and East Indians won the PEN Open Book Award in 2015.

See also

• Asian American Journalists Association
• List of Indian Americans

References

1. Blue Book
2. House District 59: Representative Nimi McConigley wyoleg.gov
3. "Former Legislator to Be Honored Guest at UW Diwali Night Oct. 8" University of Wyoming - 26 September 2006
4. Mart Martin (2018). The Almanac Of Women And Minorities In American Politics 2002. Taylor & Francis. p. 206. ISBN 978-0-429-97648-3.
5. ^ Rao, Naina (9 June 2020). "How Did Wyoming's Suffrage Movement Affect Women Of Color?". Wyoming Public Media. Retrieved 21 January 2024.
6. Proud, political and American - Mercer Garden
7. The News Director Proves Her Mettle American Journalistic Review - Jan/Feb 1992
8. "A 'SPIRITED PRIMARY' IN WYOMING". Deseret News. 20 August 1996. Retrieved 21 January 2024.
9. "Our Campaigns - WY US Senate - R Primary Race - Aug 20, 1996".
10. "Our Campaigns - WY State House 59 Race - Nov 03, 1998".
11. Sachindra Nath Pradhan (1996). India in the United States: contributions of India & Indians in the United States of America. SP Press International. p. 316. ISBN 978-0-9617129-1-4. Retrieved 9 November 2018.
12. Roy, Sandip (25 April 2001). "In the Footsteps of Dalip Singh Saund". India Currents. Retrieved 21 January 2024.
13. Garcia, Lorena (6 January 2015). "Women in Wyoming: Nimi and Nina McConigley". WyoFile. Retrieved 21 January 2024.

External links

• Bobby Jindal wins from Louisiana The Tribune, Chandigarh - 4 November 2004
• What political breakthrough? Rediff - 15 January 2003
• Martin, Mart.The Almanac of Women and Minorities in American Politics 2002. Westview Press, 2001. ISBN 0-8133-9817-7

• 1939 births
• Living people
• Indian emigrants to the United States
• Women state legislators in Wyoming
• American Tamil politicians
• Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism alumni
• Politicians from Chennai
• Republican Party members of the Wyoming House of Representatives
• American politicians of Indian descent
• Asian-American people in Wyoming politics
• 20th-century American women politicians
• 21st-century American women
• Asian conservatism in the United States
• Asian American and Pacific Islander state legislators
• 20th-century members of the Wyoming Legislature