Indian-American lawyer becomes first South Asian woman to be elected to New York State Assembly

NEW YORK: A 38-year-old Indian-American lawyer has become the first South Asian woman to be elected to the New York State Assembly. Jenifer Rajkumar, a Democrat, defeated her Republican rival Giovanni Perna.

"Congratulations to @JeniferRajkumar on becoming the first South Asian woman elected to NY state office! Jenifer is a longtime public servant and legal advocate, and we know she'll be a strong advocate for South Asian voices in Albany," the Indian American Impact Fund tweeted on Wednesday.

Rajkumar, a Stanford-educated lawyer and an immigrant rights advocate, will represent New York City in the New York State Assembly, representing the 38th Assembly district, which includes Woodhaven, Ridgewood, Richmond Hill, Ozone Park and Glendale.

The New York State Assembly is the lower house of the NY state legislature, the state Senate being the upper house. There are 150 seats in the Assembly. Assembly members serve two-year terms without term limits.

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