JJ Singh

J.J. Singh’s fashion sense is steered by at least one guiding principle: “My rule of thumb: Make sure the tie and the turban don’t clash. 

The Senate staffer is also responsible for making sure an entire softball team is in sync. Singh is an economic adviser for Sen. Chris Coons (D-Del.) and serves as captain of his office’s softball team. Under his leadership, he thinks the squad is “in the driver’s seat to make it to the playoffs for the first time in office history.”

{mosads}Singh grew up in Fairfax Station, Va., before earning an economics undergraduate degree from the University of Virginia in 2002. Next, he joined the Peace Corps in Bolivia, helping indigent single moms develop small businesses. After that, he worked in finance in New York for two years.

Then, he earned an MPA and an MBA from Harvard University before finally finding his way to Washington. 

When he’s not working, he likes golfing, shooting hoops and exercising. Singh said that while he’s a “notoriously slow jogger,” he still tries to work out a few times a week and has seen the benefits on the softball field. Case-in-point: A 2012 flag football game against Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid’s (D-Nev.) office.

“I ran a quarterback sneak and someone yelled, ‘Someone cover him — he’s fast!’ That was the highlight of my 2012,” he quipped.

Singh credits his parents for his success. “My parents came over in 1970 from India with no money, yet they provided stability to my brother and me,” he said. “That’s probably the impetus behind my drive to reduce our deficits. My parents were able to save, invest and create prosperity — our country should get back to that.”

— Kevin Cirilli