Darshana Patel
Darshana Patel | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Member of the California State Assembly from the 76th district | |
| Assumed office December 5, 2024 | |
| Preceded by | Brian Maienschein |
| Personal details | |
| Born | 1974 (age 49–50) 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. She previously served as President of the Poway Unified School District and as a Comissioner of the California Commission on Asian and Pacific Islander Affairs.
Early life and education
[edit]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.[1]
California Assembly
[edit]Patel was elected to the California State Assembly in 2024, defeating Republican Kristie Bruce-Lane.[2] She is the first Hindu woman to serve in the California State Legislature.[3]
Electoral history
[edit]| 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 | |||
Personal life
[edit]Patel lives in the Rancho Peñasquitos community of San Diego with her husband and three daughters.
References
[edit]- ^ 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
[edit]- 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