Jackson Free Press

This week, Jackson native Sital Sanjanwala, who now works for Fondren-based political consulting firm Chism Strategies, received Campaign & Elections magazine's Rising Star award for her work to help defeat Mississippi's 2011 personhood amendment.

At Chism Strategies, Sanjanwala works with Democrats on progressive causes around the country, often doing ballot initiative work. In addition to work in Mississippi, Sanjanwala has also been active in conservation initiatives in St. Louis, Mo.

"I've always had an interest in democratic politics," Sanjanwala said. "I've worked with advocacy groups like Planned Parenthood on issues I am personally passionate about, like reproductive rights for women and conservation. It's great that I can do this kind of work in state and out, because it's not often that you get to do something that you care so much about and feel so passionate about while feeling like you're doing something important for the whole country."

Sanjanwala, 26, attended Madison Central High School. She later graduated magna cum laude from Millsaps College with a BBA in Business and Economics. She then graduated summa cum laude from Millsaps College with an MBA, completed in one year while working full time with Chism Strategies. She also received Beta Gamma Sigma Honors and the Outstanding MBA Student Award.

While at Millsaps College, Sanjanwala interned at the Jackson Free Press as a Lilly Foundation fellow as part of its Faith and Work Initiative. While at the JFP, she led a team of interns that developed a prototype for what has become the JFP's quarterly GOOD Ideas issue, using infographics to provide solutions and big ideas to address a community concern, such as crime or poverty.

After college, Sanjanwala volunteered with former Mississippi Gov. Ronnie Musgrove as a research intern, analyzing economic data to determine the effectiveness of various government-funded educational programs in Mississippi.

Sanjanwala next took a job as a project manager at Zata3 Consulting, and she joined with Brad Chism, owner of Chism Strategies two years later. She expanded her role as a consultant and project manager for clients such as Planned Parenthood, The Trust for Public Land and League of Conservation Voters, as well as a number of federal and municipal candidates, such as Secretary of State of Kentucky Alison Lundergan Grimes, who is now running for U.S. Senate, and Oklahoma congressional candidate Al McAffrey. Sanjanwala's primary focus, however, has been working with ballot measures and independent expenditures with progressive organizations.

One of the biggest initiatives Sanjanwala undertook was the 2011 battle against Mississippi's Proposition 26, the "personhood" amendment. Proposition 26, which stated that life begins at conception, had the backing of both gubernatorial candidates that year and was in a strong position to pass given the state's political climate. However, that was before opponents such as Sanjanwala started making the case about the law's consequences, such investigations into miscarriages, bans on in-vitro fertilization and the closure of Jackson Women's Health Center—the state's only abortion clinic—which was the goal of many of the bill's prominent supporters including Gov. Phil Bryant. Through the efforts of Sanjanwala and a large grassroots movement, the campaign against Proposition 26 managed victory in just 56 days.

Sanjanwala moved to Washington, D.C., for the 2012 and 2013 election cycles, where she grew her relationship with Planned Parenthood Action Fund, joining its bus tour to present pro-choice messages in half a dozen states. She also became the favorite among Chism Strategies' clients for moderating telephone-conducted town hall events. Sanjanwala decided to return to Jackson in 2014.

"Jackson is an interesting place to work in Democratic politics because it's such a red state," Sanjanwala said. "But it's important work, and I feel like I have to be here and be part of the change. Mississippi is a hot political climate, but there's a lot of progress being made and a lot of good people here, so the work will always continue."