Indian-American Congressman in the United States Ami Bera was endorsed by the Sacramento Bee on Saturday for a third term in the House of Representatives. The daily praised the ability of Bera (pictured above) – the Democratic Party nominee for the 7th congressional district in California – to “find common ground” with members of the Republican Party as well as his “unusually impressive resume” while giving its endorsement.

Bera, a doctor by profession, could help “focus attention on health care threats, including the spread of the Zika virus” if elected, the Bee said in its endorsement editorial. The representative was one of the early supporters of a bill to “aid severely mentally ill people” and also supported US President Barack Obama’s “authority to negotiate the Trans-Pacific Partnership trade deal”, both of which put him at odds with the leaders of the Democratic Party as well as its support bases.

The newspaper also drew comparisons between Bera and his opponent, Sacramento County Sheriff Scott Jones, saying that the Republican Party was “out of step with California and most voters” in the 7th congressional district on national issues such as abortion rights and immigration. The “national implications of the outcome” in the election was one of the reasons behind the newspaper recommending Bera to voters, it said. The publication previously endorsed Jones for the post of Sacramento County Sheriff in 2010.

The Congressman – the only Indian-American in the current Congress – later said he was “honoured” by the endorsement. “I have lived a life committed to service and would be honoured to continue serving the people of Sacramento County in Congress for another two years,” he said. If he wins, Bera will equal the record for the most number of re-elections for an Indian-American member of Congress, according to PTI. Dalip Singh Saund holds the current record, having been elected from the 29th congressional district of California from January 1957 to January 1963.