Three Indian-American Democrats took an oath as Fort Bend County judges in the US, creating history in the country.

On Sunday, Juli A Mathew, KP George, and Surendran K Patel were sworn in as Fort Bend County Judges along with other newly elected and re-elected officials. Juli A Mathew is the first Indian-American woman to be elected to a judge’s bench in the US, four years ago. She was re-elected for a second term after defeating her Republican challenger, Andrew Dornburg. Mathew is a native of Thiruvalla in Kerala. She was sworn in via videoconferencing. She will continue to serve as presiding judge from Number 3 of the Fort Bend County Court for four years.

Mathew won her 2018 electoral bid for the bench against Republican Tricia Krenek by an 8.24 per cent margin, creating history as the first Indian-American woman elected to the bench in the US. Mathew also heads the first Juvenile Intervention and Mental Health Court and has been a practising attorney for 15 years with experience in mass tort, civil litigation, probate, and criminal matters.

George is the first Indian-American to hold an office in Fort Bend County. He won a second term as the county’s judge in a narrow race in the November elections. George hails from Kakkodu, a city in Kerala. He is a 57-year-old Democrat, whose win in 2018 made him a pioneer in the Houston area and beyond. He stated that he hopes it stays that way now that he has been granted another four years as the chief executive for one of the most diverse and fastest-growing counties in the country. George also mentioned that community engagement will be the top priority for his administration.

Furthermore, the county welcomed District Court Judge Pattel, who edged Republican Edward M Krenek in the race for the 240th Judicial District in November. Patel is a native of Kerala with over 25 years of experience and has been a Texas attorney since 2009. He also served as a lawyer in India, where he earned his law degree in 1995 at the University of Calicut. His website highlights that in 2015, Patel was elected president of the Malayalee Association of Greater Houston, a 2,500-member nonprofit organisation serving more than 12,000 Indian families.