Sarahana Shrestha is a Nepalese-American democratic socialist politician and activist. She is a member of the New York State Assembly, representing the New York's 103rd State Assembly district in the mid-Hudson Valley. She was first elected in November 2022.
Early life and education Shrestha was born in Kathmandu, Nepal, and moved to the United States in 2001 to study computer science at the New York Institute of Technology. She became interested in socialist politics and the anti-war movement as a college student. She became an American citizen in 2019.
Career Shrestha is affiliated with Public Power NY, a coalition of clean energy advocacy organizations. She has also worked as a graphic designer and is the co-chair of the Democratic Socialists of America's Ulster County chapter. Shrestha focused her campaign on climate and renewable energy policy.
In 2021, she and her husband worked on Phil Erner's campaign for the Ulster County legislature.
New York State Assembly Elections In 2022, Shrestha announced she would run against incumbent state assemblymember Kevin Cahill in the 103rd district. She was endorsed by the Democratic Socialists of America, Working Families Party, and U.S. representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez. Shrestha was elected in November 2022 and assumed office on January 1, 2023, becoming member of the Socialists in Office bloc.
In 2024, she was challenged by Gabi Madden, a former staffer of state senator James Skoufis who was endorsed by him and Kingston mayor Steve Noble. She handily defeated Madden in the Democratic primary election.
Tenure Shrestha advocated for good cause eviction protections in 2024. Shrestha advocates for turning the Central Hudson Gas & Electric Corp. into the Hudson Valley Power Authority, a public utility company. She co-sponsored a bill to establish a single-payer healthcare system in New York in April 2026.
She is a member of the New York State Socialists in Office. Electoral history
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