Sarahana Shrestha

Sarahana Shrestha
Shrestha in 2023
Member of the New York State Assembly
from the 103rd district
Incumbent
Assumed office
January 1, 2023
Preceded byKevin Cahill
Personal details
BornSarahana Shrestha
1980 or 1981 (age 45–46)[1]
Kathmandu, Nepal
PartyDemocratic
Other political
affiliations
Democratic Socialists of America
Working Families Party
EducationNew York Institute of Technology (BS)
Signature

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.[2][3] She became interested in socialist politics and the anti-war movement as a college student.[4][3] She became an American citizen in 2019.[5]

Career

Shrestha is affiliated with Public Power NY, a coalition of clean energy advocacy organizations.[6] She has also worked as a graphic designer and is the co-chair of the Democratic Socialists of America's Ulster County chapter.[7] Shrestha focused her campaign on climate and renewable energy policy.[8][9]

In 2021, she and her husband worked on Phil Erner's campaign for the Ulster County legislature.[3]

New York State Assembly

Elections

In 2022, Shrestha announced she would run against incumbent state assemblymember Kevin Cahill in the 103rd district.[3] She was endorsed by the Democratic Socialists of America, Working Families Party, and U.S. representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez.[10][11] Shrestha was elected in November 2022 and assumed office on January 1, 2023, becoming member of the Socialists in Office bloc.[3][6][12]

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.[3] She handily defeated Madden in the Democratic primary election.[1]

Tenure

Shrestha advocated for good cause eviction protections in 2024.[3] Shrestha advocates for turning the Central Hudson Gas & Electric Corp. into the Hudson Valley Power Authority, a public utility company.[3][13] She co-sponsored a bill to establish a single-payer healthcare system in New York in April 2026.[14]

She is a member of the New York State Socialists in Office.[15]

Electoral history

2022 New York State Assembly election, 103rd district[16][17]
Primary election
Party Candidate Votes %
Democratic Sarahana Shrestha 7,907 51.8
Democratic Kevin Cahill (incumbent) 7,369 48.2
Write-in 6 0.0
Total votes 15,282 100.0
General election
Democratic Sarahana Shrestha 30,703
Working Families Sarahana Shrestha 5,902
Total Sarahana Shrestha 36,605 60.7
Republican Patrick Sheehan 19,908
Conservative Patrick Sheehan 3,646
Total Patrick Sheehan 23,554 39.1
Write-in 115 0.2
Total votes 60,274 100.0
Democratic hold
2024 New York State Assembly election, District 103[18][19]
Primary election
Party Candidate Votes %
Democratic Sarahana Shrestha (incumbent) 9,219 66.2
Democratic Gabi Madden 4,688 33.7
Write-in 11 0.1
Total votes 13,918 100.0
General election
Democratic Sarahana Shrestha 39,722
Working Families Sarahana Shrestha 7,271
Total Sarahana Shrestha (incumbent) 46,993 64.1
Republican Jack Hayes 22,203
Conservative Jack Hayes 3,973
Total Jack Hayes 26,176 35.7
Write-in 107 0.2
Total votes 73,276 100.0
Democratic hold

References

  1. 1 2 Bellamy, Lana (26 June 2024). "Incumbents Shrestha, Barrett win big in Hudson Valley Assembly primaries". Times Union. Archived from the original on June 27, 2024.
  2. ↑ Wang, Esther (2022-08-05). "Sarahana Shrestha, DSA's Hudson Valley Primary Winner, Has a Message for NY Progressives". Hell Gate. Archived from the original on August 5, 2022. Retrieved 2022-12-31.
  3. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 Jefferson, Austin C. (July 21, 2025). "Sarahana Shrestha is building a progressive movement in the Hudson Valley". City & State. Archived from the original on July 21, 2025. Retrieved July 21, 2025.
  4. ↑ Featherstone, Liza (2022-06-21). "Why This N.Y. Socialist Is Running on Climate". The Nation. ISSN 0027-8378. Archived from the original on June 21, 2022. Retrieved 2022-12-31.
  5. ↑ "Ceremony at Ulster County Courthouse welcomes 51 new US citizens". Daily Freeman. 2019-12-13. Archived from the original on June 29, 2022. Retrieved 2022-12-31.
  6. 1 2 Kirby, Paul (2022-11-09). "103rd Assembly District: Sarahana Shrestha defeats Patrick Sheehan". Daily Freeman. Archived from the original on November 9, 2022. Retrieved 2022-12-31.
  7. ↑ Giambrone, Andrew (2021-11-08). ""At the End of the Day, Climate Is a Working-Class Issue"". Jacobin. Archived from the original on June 22, 2022. Retrieved 2022-12-31.
  8. ↑ Bagley, Katherine (2022-11-08). "From New York to Texas, climate candidates are gaining momentum in local races". Grist. Archived from the original on April 6, 2026. Retrieved 2022-12-31.
  9. ↑ Ashford, Grace (2022-06-23). "The Next Battlefield for N.Y. Progressives? The State Assembly". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Archived from the original on June 23, 2022. Retrieved 2022-12-31.
  10. ↑ Lucas, Dave (2022-07-07). "Surprise Democratic state Assembly primary winner Sarahana Shrestha looks to November". WAMC. Retrieved 2026-05-19.
  11. ↑ Ashford, Grace (2022-06-29). "N.Y. Assembly Democrats Largely Repel Challenges From the Left". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Archived from the original on June 29, 2022. Retrieved 2022-12-31.
  12. ↑ "Sarahana Shrestha". Ballotpedia. Archived from the original on December 2, 2025. Retrieved 2022-12-31.
  13. ↑ Ashford, Grace (2025-12-10). "How to Fight Rising Utility Bills? Take Over the Company, Activists Say". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 2026-05-19.
  14. ↑ Kirby, Paul (2026-04-09). "Shrestha, health advocates push for universal health care". Daily Freeman. Archived from the original on April 10, 2026. Retrieved 2026-05-19.
  15. ↑ "About". New York State Socialists in Office. Retrieved 11 August 2026.
  16. ↑ "2022 Election Results". New York State Board of Elections. Archived from the original on January 10, 2023. Retrieved January 28, 2023.
  17. ↑ "2022 State and Local Primary Results". New York State Board of Elections. Retrieved January 28, 2023.
  18. ↑ "2024 Primary Election Results". New York State Board of Elections. Retrieved August 5, 2024.
  19. ↑ "2024 Election Results". New York State Board of Elections. Retrieved December 15, 2024.
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