Who Is Preet Didbal? Yuba City Elects First Sikh Woman Mayor Of US

A northern California woman made history Thursday after being the first Sikh woman elected as mayor.

Before assuming her role as mayor, Preet Didbal held the position of councilwoman in Yuba City since 2014. Vice Mayor Didbal will officially be sworn in as mayor Dec. 5.

Didbal was born and raised in Yuba City – roughly 40 miles from Sacramento – and is the daughter of Indian immigrants who moved to America in 1968. The Yuba City-native is apart of the Sikhism religion which originated from Punjab region in India during the 15th century.

Aside from being the first Sikh mayor, Didbal was also the first to receive a college diploma within her family. Didbal received her Bachelors from California State University, Sacramento in 1998 and went on for her Masters in 2012 from University of San Francisco.

"Her focus is built around children being raised in a community that invests in the success of young people and will look to develop more youth and family activities," according to the Yuba City website.

Didbal arguably became an inspiration for the Sikh people and women in general.

"Reach for the stars," Didbal said to KGTV Thursday. "Don't sit back and think 'I can't do this' or 'not me,' because it can be you."