Jay Gotra Becomes First Indian-American Democrat to Run for Governor of Rhode Island
Jay Gotra, Democratic candidate for Governor of Rhode Island, at his formal campaign announcement in East Greenwich, R.I.
Jay Gotra built a $105 mil company, created 700 jobs & was repaid with a government lawsuit. Now he's running for Governor and calling on the country to watch.
Rhode Island is the smallest state in USA. It will become the biggest proof of concept that real leadership, fiscal accountability, and social governance are still possible. That is what GRIT means.”
EAST GREENWICH, RI, UNITED STATES, June 2, 2026 /EINPresswire.com/ -- Jay Gotra, Democratic candidate for Governor of Rhode Island, formally announced his candidacy for the 2026 gubernatorial race, introducing his GRIT platform — Grow Rhode Island Together — as a blueprint for fiscal accountability and economic leadership in the state.— Jay Gotra
"Every great movement starts somewhere small," said Gotra. "Rhode Island is the smallest state in the nation. I believe it can become the biggest proof of concept — that you can lead with fiscal discipline, protect individual freedoms, and never once ask people to choose between their prosperity and their values."
A registered Democrat, Gotra publicly acknowledged voting for Donald Trump in the 2024 presidential election — not out of ideology, but as a verdict on leadership. "I want to be honest with the American people, because I think that is rare enough to mean something. When I stood in that voting booth in 2024, I was not choosing between Republican and Democrat. I was choosing between two leadership failures. Leadership has to come first. Always."
Gotra is emphatic that his Democratic registration is not a technicality. "The Democratic Party does not need me to abandon it. It needs people like me to strengthen it. Somewhere in the last decade, we accepted tribalism as our fate. I refuse to accept that."
His campaign runs on the GRIT platform — Grow Rhode Island Together — built on five pillars: fiscal accountability, business freedom, energy independence, housing access, and open government. The full policy platform is published at governorgotra.com/plans. And he is staking his political future on results.
"I am making a commitment no career politician would dare make: when I am elected, if Rhode Island is not fiscally profitable by the end of my first term, I will not run for a second. That is not a talking point. It is a personal commitment — the same kind I made when I started a company with nothing and promised my employees I would make payroll."
Gotra also speaks openly about government overreach he experienced firsthand. In 2023, the Rhode Island Attorney General filed a civil lawsuit against his solar energy company while it was actively employing hundreds of Rhode Islanders. Gotra has refused to admit personal wrongdoing throughout the proceedings and continues to fight the case as a pro se defendant.
"What happened to me is not unique. The same abuse of government power that Americans have watched at the federal level has been happening quietly at the state level for years. I lived it. And the people elected to serve you should never become the people you are afraid of."
"I built multiple companies generating over a billion dollars in lifetime revenue and created over 700 jobs in this state. I have made mistakes. I have faced consequences I did not deserve. And I am still here — still fighting, still believing Rhode Island deserves better. That is what GRIT means."
The Democratic primary is September 9, 2026. The general election is November 3, 2026. Americans who believe leadership still matters can follow the campaign at governorgotra.com and contribute at governorgotra.com/contribute.
ABOUT JAY GOTRA
Jay Gotra is a first-generation American entrepreneur and Democratic candidate for Governor of Rhode Island. Born in Mumbai, India, he came to the United States as a teenager and built multiple companies generating over a billion dollars in lifetime revenue, including Alliance Security Inc., which grew to $105 million in annual revenue and 700 Rhode Island jobs. He lives in East Greenwich with his three daughters and a son. Learn more at governorgotra.com.
MEDIA CONTACT
Gotra for Governor | jay@governorgotra.com | (508) 989-8450 | governorgotra.com | @GovernorGotra
Jay Gotra
Gotra for Governor
+1 508-989-8450
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