Aruna Miller

Aruna Miller
Official portrait, 2023
Aruna Miller
Born	Aruna Katragadda 6 11, 1964
Birthplace	Hyderabad, India
Nationality	American
Occupation	Politician, civil engineer
Known for	First South Asian American woman elected lieutenant governor in the United States
Education	Missouri University of Science and Technology (BS)
Children	3

Aruna Miller (née Katragadda; born November 6, 1964) is an American politician and civil engineer serving as the tenth lieutenant governor of Maryland since January 2023. Born in Hyderabad, India, Miller immigrated to the United States as a child and built a career in transportation engineering before entering public life. A member of the Democratic Party, she represented District 15 in the Maryland House of Delegates from 2010 to 2019, having been appointed to fill a vacancy by Governor Martin O'Malley. She ran for the United States House of Representatives in 2018, seeking to represent Maryland's 6th congressional district, but lost the Democratic primary to David Trone. In 2022, she was selected as the running mate of Wes Moore in the Maryland gubernatorial election; the pair won the Democratic primary on July 19, 2022, and defeated Republican nominees Dan Cox and Gordana Schifanelli in the general election on November 8, 2022. Miller is the first Asian American lieutenant governor of Maryland, the first immigrant to hold statewide office in the state, and the first South Asian American woman elected lieutenant governor in the United States. She is the second woman to serve as lieutenant governor of Maryland, after Kathleen Kennedy Townsend.

Early Life

Aruna Katragadda was born on November 6, 1964, in Hyderabad, India. She immigrated to the United States as a young child, growing up in an immigrant family that settled in the country. Details of her family's circumstances in India and the timing of their move to the United States are consistent with the broader wave of Indian immigration to America during the mid-to-late twentieth century.

Miller became a naturalized citizen of the United States in 2000, having held Indian citizenship from birth until that point. Her experience as an immigrant has been a defining aspect of her public identity and political career. As the first immigrant to hold statewide office in Maryland, Miller has frequently referenced her background in discussions about immigration policy and the contributions of immigrant communities to American civic life.

Miller was raised with an emphasis on education and professional achievement. She pursued studies in engineering, a field in which she would build a career spanning more than two decades before entering politics.

Education

Miller earned a Bachelor of Science degree from the Missouri University of Science and Technology (formerly the University of Missouri–Rolla), where she studied civil engineering. Her engineering education provided the foundation for a career in transportation infrastructure that preceded her entry into public service.

Career

Engineering Career

Before entering politics, Miller worked as a civil engineer for more than two decades. She specialized in transportation engineering, working on infrastructure projects in the state of Maryland. Her professional engineering background became a notable aspect of her political profile, distinguishing her from many of her colleagues in the Maryland General Assembly and informing her legislative focus on transportation, infrastructure, and STEM-related issues.

Maryland House of Delegates (2010–2019)

Miller's entry into elected office came through an appointment rather than an election. In 2010, Governor Martin O'Malley appointed Miller to represent District 15 in the Maryland House of Delegates, filling a vacancy created by the departure of Craig L. Rice, who had moved to the Montgomery County Council. Miller took office on December 1, 2010, and subsequently won election to the seat, serving in the House of Delegates until January 9, 2019. She was succeeded by Lily Qi.

District 15, located in Montgomery County, Maryland, is a suburban district in the Washington, D.C., metropolitan area. During her tenure in the House of Delegates, Miller served on various committees and introduced legislation on a range of topics. Records from the Maryland General Assembly document her sponsorship of bills during multiple legislative sessions, including the 2018 regular session.

Miller also participated in international trade and diplomatic efforts on behalf of the state. She was involved in Maryland's sister state relationship with India and participated in a trade mission to India organized during the administration of Governor O'Malley, which resulted in business deals valued at approximately $60 million.

As an active member of the Maryland Democratic Party, Miller participated in party activities and was listed among delegates in the state party structure.

2018 Congressional Campaign

In 2018, Miller launched a campaign for the United States House of Representatives, seeking the Democratic nomination in Maryland's 6th congressional district, which was being vacated by incumbent John Delaney, who had announced his candidacy for the 2020 presidential race. The race attracted a crowded field of Democratic candidates in a district that encompassed Western Maryland and parts of Montgomery County.

Miller's campaign attracted a number of notable endorsements. She received the endorsement of the National Education Association, the national teachers' union, bolstering her support among education advocates. The Sierra Club's Maryland chapter also endorsed her candidacy, citing her positions on environmental issues. EMILY's List, the political action committee that supports pro-choice Democratic women candidates, endorsed Miller as well. Additionally, she received the endorsement of 314 Action, a political organization that supports candidates with STEM backgrounds, which aligned with her career as a civil engineer. U.S. Senator Kirsten Gillibrand of New York also endorsed Miller's candidacy.

During the campaign, Miller won straw polls among Democratic activists in Western Maryland, suggesting grassroots support in the district.

However, the race was dominated by the financial resources of businessman David Trone, who became the largest self-funding House candidate in American history at that time. A Washington Post analysis noted that Miller was outspent by a ratio of approximately 11 to 1, a significant financial disadvantage in a competitive primary. In the June 26, 2018, Democratic primary, Trone won the nomination, and Miller finished among the top candidates but did not advance to the general election.

2022 Gubernatorial Campaign and Election as Lieutenant Governor

Following the 2018 congressional race, Miller remained active in Democratic politics in Maryland. In December 2021, Wes Moore, a bestselling author and former CEO of the Robin Hood Foundation, selected Miller as his running mate for the 2022 Democratic primary for governor of Maryland. The selection paired Moore, an African American candidate from Baltimore, with Miller, an Indian American immigrant from Montgomery County, creating a ticket that reflected the diversity of the state's Democratic electorate.

The Moore-Miller ticket ran in a competitive Democratic primary that included several prominent candidates. On July 19, 2022, Moore and Miller won the Democratic nomination. In the general election on November 8, 2022, they defeated the Republican ticket of Dan Cox and Gordana Schifanelli by a decisive margin, in a race that reflected the strong Democratic lean of Maryland in statewide contests.

Miller was inaugurated as the tenth lieutenant governor of Maryland on January 18, 2023, alongside Governor Wes Moore.

Lieutenant Governor of Maryland (2023–present)

As lieutenant governor, Miller has served as a key member of the Moore administration. In her role, she has been involved in a range of policy areas and public engagements on behalf of the administration.

In February 2025, Miller testified before the Maryland Senate Finance Committee in support of SB 385, known as the VAX Act, advocating for the legislation's passage.

In a public engagement in February 2025, Miller welcomed nearly two dozen Buddhist monks to the Maryland State House in Annapolis as part of a "Walk for Peace" event, marking the final stop of their journey.

On February 24, 2025, Governor Wes Moore and Lieutenant Governor Aruna Miller officially filed for reelection for the 2026 gubernatorial race at the Maryland State Board of Elections, announcing their intention to seek a second term. Coverage of the filing noted the administration's emphasis on economic gains and bipartisan support during its first term.

Personal Life

Miller has three children. She became a naturalized United States citizen in 2000, having been born in Hyderabad, India, and immigrating to the United States earlier in her life. Miller resides in Maryland.

Her identity as a South Asian American and an immigrant has been a prominent element of her public profile. As the first Asian American to serve as lieutenant governor of Maryland and the first immigrant to hold statewide office in the state, Miller's election in 2022 was noted for its historical significance within both the South Asian American community and the broader context of immigrant representation in American politics.

Recognition

Miller's election as lieutenant governor of Maryland in 2022 was recognized as a historic milestone on multiple fronts. She became the first South Asian American woman elected lieutenant governor in the United States, a distinction that drew national attention from media outlets and South Asian American advocacy organizations. She was also the first Asian American to serve as lieutenant governor of Maryland and the first immigrant to hold statewide office in the state.

She is the second woman to be elected lieutenant governor of Maryland, following Kathleen Kennedy Townsend, who served from 1995 to 2003.

During her 2018 congressional campaign, Miller received endorsements from several prominent national organizations, including EMILY's List, the Sierra Club's Maryland chapter, the National Education Association, and 314 Action, reflecting recognition of her qualifications and policy positions across multiple issue areas including education, environmental protection, reproductive rights, and STEM representation in government.

Legacy

Miller's career represents several firsts in Maryland and American politics. As the first immigrant to hold statewide office in Maryland, her election alongside Governor Wes Moore in 2022 was viewed as reflecting the increasing diversity of the state's political leadership. Her status as the first South Asian American woman elected lieutenant governor anywhere in the United States placed her within a broader trend of growing South Asian American political representation at the state and national level during the 2020s.

Her professional background as a civil engineer prior to entering politics also distinguished her within Maryland's political landscape. The endorsement by 314 Action during her 2018 congressional run highlighted the relatively uncommon presence of candidates with STEM careers in American elected office, a gap that organizations like 314 Action have sought to address.

Miller's path from appointed delegate to statewide elected office illustrates one trajectory through Maryland politics. Her initial appointment by Governor O'Malley in 2010, followed by election to the House of Delegates, an unsuccessful but competitive bid for Congress in 2018, and ultimately election as lieutenant governor in 2022, charts a progression through the state's Democratic political structure. Her filing for reelection alongside Governor Moore in February 2025 positions her to potentially serve in the role through 2031 if reelected in 2026.