| Darshana Patel | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Member of the California State Assembly from the 76th district | |
| Incumbent | |
| Assumed office December 5, 2024 | |
| Preceded by | Brian Maienschein |
| Personal details | |
| Born | 1974 (age 50–51) Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania |
| Political party | Democratic |
| Education | Occidental College (BA) University of California, Irvine (PhD) |
| Academic background | |
| Thesis | Characterization of membrane binding properties of annexins (1997) |
| Academic work | |
| Discipline | Biophysics |
Darshana Ramesh Patel (born 1974) is an American scientist and politician serving as a member of the California State Assembly for the 76th district since 2024. A member of the Democratic Party, she previously served as President of the Poway Unified School District and as a commissioner of the California Commission on Asian and Pacific Islander Affairs.
Early life and education
Patel was born in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania to parents from India. She holds a Bachelor of Arts in biochemistry with a minor in religious studies from Occidental College and a Ph.D. in biophysics from University of California, Irvine.
California Assembly
Patel was elected to the California State Assembly in 2024, defeating Republican Kristie Bruce-Lane. She is the first Hindu woman to serve in the California State Legislature.
Personal life
Patel lives in the Rancho Peñasquitos community of San Diego with her husband and three daughters.
Electoral history
| Primary election | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
| Republican | Kristie Bruce-Lane | 49,316 | 49.5 | |
| Democratic | Darshana Patel | 34,066 | 34.2 | |
| Democratic | Joseph Rocha | 16,312 | 16.4 | |
| Total votes | 99,694 | 100.0 | ||
| General election | ||||
| Democratic | Darshana Patel | |||
| Republican | Kristie Bruce-Lane | |||
| Total votes | 100.0 | |||
References
- Amezcua, Claudia (May 9, 2022). "WATCH: Asian in America special". KGTV. Retrieved October 16, 2024.
- Place, Leo (November 13, 2024). "Patel, Boerner declare victory in state Assembly races". The Coast News. Retrieved December 17, 2024.
- Kamal, Sameea (March 7, 2024). "California could beat its record on women in the Legislature". CalMatters. Retrieved December 17, 2024.
External links
Categories:- Living people
- 21st-century American women politicians
- 21st-century members of the California State Legislature
- Democratic Party members of the California State Assembly
- California politicians of Indian descent
- American biophysicists
- American women scientists
- American scientists of Asian descent
- Scientists from San Diego
- Politicians from San Diego
- American Hindus
- Occidental College alumni
- University of California, Irvine alumni
- 1974 births