the 1952 election to become Justice of the Peace of Westmoreland. He claimed to be the only native Indian holding office in the United States at the time. United States House of Representatives Elections During the 1956 election Saund ran to replace John R. Phillips, who was retiring, as the United States Representative from California's 29th congressional district. On April 16, a legal challenge was filed against Saund claiming that he had not been a United States citizen long enough to run in the election, but the challenge was dismissed by the 4th California Courts of Appeal. He won the Democratic nomination and later defeated Republican nominee Jacqueline Cochran in the general election despite Dwight D. Eisenhower winning the area in the presidential election. He became the first and only Sikh elected to the United States Congress as well as the first Indian and Asian American elected to Congress. Saund defeated John Babbage, a former member of the California State Legislature, in the 1958 election and Charles H. Jameson in the 1960 election. He won renomination against Rya E. Hiller during the 1962 election, despite being hospitalized for a stroke he had on May 1, but was defeated by Republican nominee Patrick M. Martin after being hospitalized at the National Naval Medical Center for the entire campaign. Tenure Following his election to the United States House of Representatives, Saund stated that he wanted a seat on the House Interior Committee to make sure that his district received a fair share of the Colorado River's water. In 1957, he was appointed to serve on a sub-committee in the United States House Committee on Foreign Affairs. Saund stated during the 1956 election that he would travel to Asia if elected. He conducted a tour of multiple eastern Asian countries which included visits to Japan, Taiwan, British Hong Kong, Philippines, South Vietnam, Indonesia, Thailand, Burma, India, and Pakistan in 1957. He also visited Israel, where he met with Prime Minister David Ben-Gurion, on his way returning to the United States. In Indonesia he met with President Sukarno and in India he met with Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru. Death Saund was moved to UC San Diego Health in 1963. He died on April 22, 1973, after suffering a second stroke in Hollywood, California. Twenty-four members of the United States House of Representatives paid tribute to Saund on the House floor and a memorial service