Amit Jani joins Biden presidential campaign

Amit Jani, a former aide to Gov. Phil Murphy and U.S. Senator Bob Menendez, will serve as National Asian American Pacific Islander Director for Joe Biden’s presidential campaign.

Jani is a school board member of the Hudson County Schools of Technology.

“It’s an honor to join a candidate in Vice President Joe Biden, with whom the Asian American Pacific Islander community can trust to represent and reflect the community’s values and principles,” Jani said in a statement released by South Asians for America.

The post could be a path to a top job in a Biden administration.

Charmaine Manansala, a former SEIU political director in California and aide to House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, served as senior legislative officer for the U.S. Department of Labor for eight years after serving as National Asian American Pacific Islander Director for the 2008 Obama/Biden campaign.

Prior to joining the Murphy administration, Jani also worked for the Murphy for Governor campaign, at the New Jersey Democratic State Committee and for Rep. Frank Pallone

“It is encouraging that campaigns like that of Vice President Joe Biden are making the Asian American Pacific Islander community a priority, given the community’s rapid growth and success in the United States,” said South Asians For America Co-chair Neha Dewan. “We are proud that Amit Jani will be representing the community at this level and know he will do a tremendous job at making sure the community is visible and it’s input is considered at the grassroots level nationally.”