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Jenifer Rajkumar
Jenifer Rajkumar
Member of the New York State Assembly
from the 38th district
Incumbent
Assumed office
January 1, 2021
Preceded byMichael G. Miller
Personal details
Born (1982-09-01) September 1, 1982 (age 42)
Tarrytown, New York, U.S.
Political partyDemocratic
EducationUniversity of Pennsylvania (BA)
Stanford University (JD)
Signature
WebsiteCampaign website
State Assembly website

Jenifer Rajkumar (born September 1, 1982) is an American politician. A Democrat, she is a member of the New York State Assembly from the 38th district, representing Queens neighborhoods of Glendale, Ozone Park, Richmond Hill, Ridgewood, and Woodhaven.

Early life and education

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Rajkumar was born and raised in Tarrytown in Westchester County.[1] Her parents are doctors who immigrated from India and first settled in Queens.[2] She is a graduate of Hackley School. Rajkumar earned a Bachelor of Arts degree from the University of Pennsylvania and a Juris Doctor from Stanford Law School.[citation needed]

Career

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Jenifer Rajkumar is currently a member of the New York State Assembly from the 38th district, representing Queens neighborhoods of Glendale, Ozone Park, Richmond Hill, Ridgewood, and Woodhaven. In 2020, Rajkumar became the first Indian-American woman ever elected to the New York State Legislature.[3]

Previously, she practiced law as a civil rights attorney, served as the Director of Immigration Affairs for New York State, and worked as an adjunct professor of political science at CUNY's Lehman College in the Bronx.[when?][4][5]

Political career

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New York State Assembly tenure

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Rajkumar was appointed by the Speaker of the Assembly as the Chair of the Subcommittee on Diversity in Law.[6] She also serves on the following Assembly Committees: Judiciary, Veterans' Affairs, Committee on Aging, Consumer Affairs, and Small Business.[7]

In her first term, Rajkumar passed a legislative package for domestic workers, securing them the full protections of the state human rights law, and expanding their paid family leave benefits.[8] Governor Hochul signed Rajkumar's legislative package into law in December 2021.[9] Rajkumar also passed a bill expanding benefits for victims of crime, which the Governor signed into law in June 2022.[10]

In December 2021, Mayor-Elect Eric Adams appointed Rajkumar as a Senior Advisor on his Transition Team.[11]

New York State government

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On February 6, 2017, Governor Andrew Cuomo appointed Rajkumar as the Director of Immigration Affairs and Special Counsel for the New York Department of State.[12]

2011 District Leader race

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In 2011, Rajkumar became the first Indian American elected as the District Leader of the 65th District of the New York State Assembly,[13] defeating a 28-year incumbent with over 70% of the vote.[14][15] She was re-elected to that office two more times, in 2013 and 2015.[16] As district leader, Rajkumar led the effort to bring M9 bus service back to Battery Park City in Lower Manhattan and has worked closely with Democracy for Battery Park City, an organization which seeks representation for residents of the neighborhood on the board of the Battery Park City Authority.[17][18][19][20]

2013 City Council race

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In 2013, Rajkumar ran for the New York City Council in the Democratic primary in New York City's first Council district, losing to incumbent Margaret Chin.[21] Rajkumar won 41.5% of the vote.[22][23] Rajkumar's campaign championed affordable housing and community-friendly development. She was endorsed by various organizations and unions, such as The Sierra Club, and local Allied Craftworkers and Ironworkers groups.[24]

2016 State Assembly race

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She ran for the New York State Assembly in the 65th District,[25] as the seat was occupied by Alice Cancel, the winner of a special election on April 19, 2016, to replace Sheldon Silver, who was convicted of corruption and expelled from the Assembly in 2015.[26][27][28][29][30]

Rajkumar finished second in a six-way Democratic primary; the winner, Yuh-Line Niou, went on to win in the general election in November.[31]

2020 State Assembly race

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Rajkumar ran in the primary for the 38th New York State Assembly district in Queens, which includes portions of the Glendale, Ozone Park, Richmond Hill, Ridgewood, and Woodhaven neighborhoods, against incumbent Democrat Michael G. Miller and challenger Joey De Jesus.[32] Rajkumar was endorsed by California Congressman Ro Khanna in February 2020.[33] In May 2020, City & State criticized Rajkumar alongside a slate of other candidates for carpetbagging across multiple primaries and elections.[34]

Rajkumar defeated Miller and De Jesus in the June 2020 Democratic primary and won over Giovanni Perna in the November general election.[35] Along with Zohran Mamdani, Rajkumar was one of the first members of Indian ancestry elected to the Assembly, and the first American woman of Indian ancestry.[36]

New York City Comptroller

On August 12, 2024, Rajkumar announced her intention to run to become New York City's 46th Comptroller.[37]

Electoral history

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2022

General Election for New York State Assembly District 38[38]
Party Candidate Votes Percentage
Democratic Jenifer Rajkumar 11,662 97.8%
Other/Write-in votes 260 2.2%

2020

General Election for New York State Assembly District 38[39]
Party Candidate Votes Percentage
Democratic Jenifer Rajkumar 25,232 72.6%
Republican Giovanni Perna 9,443 27.2%
Other/Write-in votes 66 .2%
Democratic Primary Election for New York State Assembly District 38[40]
Party Candidate Votes Percentage
Democratic Jenifer Rajkumar 3,817 51.9%
Democratic Michael Miller 1,851 25.2%
Democratic Joseph De Jesus 1,668 22.7
Other/Write-in votes 12 .2%

Personal life

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Rajkumar is a Hindu[41]

See also

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References

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  1. ^ Bhole, Anita; Troutman, Matt (July 14, 2024). "'Lady in red' NY Assemblywoman Jenifer Rajkumar's potential comptroller run raises eyebrows over Adams ties". New York Post. Retrieved July 16, 2024.
  2. ^ "Not Just Jenny From the Block". The New York Times Blog. Retrieved June 15, 2016.
  3. ^ Sundaram, Arya (July 6, 2024). "NY Assemblymember Jenifer Rajkumar advances potential city comptroller run". Gothamist. Retrieved August 15, 2024.
  4. ^ "Lehman Professor Makes History as First South Asian Woman Elected to State Assembly". www.lehman.cuny.edu. Retrieved July 29, 2022.
  5. ^ Schilling, John (July 17, 2023). "Trial Lawyers Association honors Queens lawmaker with leadership award – QNS". qns.com. Retrieved August 5, 2024.
  6. ^ "Jenifer Rajkumar - Assembly District 38 |Assembly Member Directory | New York State Assembly". nyassembly.gov. Retrieved July 29, 2022.
  7. ^ "Jenifer Rajkumar - Assembly District 38 |Assembly Member Directory | New York State Assembly". nyassembly.gov. Retrieved July 29, 2022.
  8. ^ Bardolf, Deirdre (January 6, 2022). "New laws to protect domestic workers". Queens Chronicle. Retrieved July 29, 2022.
  9. ^ Bardolf, Deirdre (January 6, 2022). "New laws to protect domestic workers". Queens Chronicle. Retrieved July 29, 2022.
  10. ^ Mohamed, Carlotta (July 6, 2022). "Governor signs Queens lawmaker's bill into law to support and empower victims of crimes – QNS.com". qns.com. Retrieved July 29, 2022.
  11. ^ Kaye, Jacob (December 3, 2021). "Adams announces transition committee members". Queens Daily Eagle. Retrieved July 29, 2022.
  12. ^ "Human Rights Attorney Jenifer Rajkumar Named to New Post in New York Department of State". India West. Retrieved May 29, 2020.
  13. ^ Dutt, Ela (March 21, 2017). "Indian American Jenifer Rajkumar appointed Director of Immigration Affairs of New York state | News India Times | Page 25433". Retrieved May 26, 2020.
  14. ^ "You Should Run: Advancing Social Justice by Running for Office". Harvard Law School. Retrieved June 17, 2016.
  15. ^ Dutt, Ela (November 22, 2019). "NY State Assembly District 38 in Queens has been overlooked too long: Indian-American candidate Jenifer Rajkumar | News India Times". Retrieved May 26, 2020.
  16. ^ "Manhattan Democrats District Leaders". Manhattan Democratic Party. Retrieved June 17, 2016.
  17. ^ "District Leader Rajkumar Kicks Off Campaign for Assembly Seat". The Broadsheet. Retrieved June 17, 2016.
  18. ^ "Indian American attorney Jenifer Rajkumar at the center of a $100 million lawsuit in New York". American Bazaar Online. Retrieved June 17, 2016.
  19. ^ Goldman, Henry (January 23, 2020). "New Generation of NYC Insurgents Seeks Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez Fervor". www.bloomberg.com. Retrieved May 26, 2020.
  20. ^ Dutt, Ela (June 12, 2017). "South Asians Must Take Advantage Of "NaturalizeNY": Rajkumar | News India Times". Retrieved May 26, 2020.
  21. ^ "Downtown Democratic Council Primary Results". DNA Info. Archived from the original on August 11, 2016. Retrieved June 15, 2016.
  22. ^ "2013 New York City Primary Results". The New York Times.
  23. ^ "Jenifer Rajkumar Loses in Bid for Manhattan City Council". India West. September 17, 2013. Archived from the original on September 30, 2016.
  24. ^ "Your guide to Manhattan Council District 1 — Lower Manhattan". nydailynews.com.
  25. ^ Perler, Elie (April 25, 2016). "Rajkumar Announces Campaign for Assembly". Bowery Boogie. Archived from the original on September 25, 2021. Retrieved June 15, 2016.
  26. ^ Weiser, Benjamin (July 13, 2017). "Sheldon Silver's 2015 Corruption Conviction Is Overturned". The New York Times. Retrieved December 28, 2017.
  27. ^ "Democrat Alice Cancel Wins Sheldon Silver's Old NYS Assembly Seat". CBS New York. Retrieved June 17, 2016.
  28. ^ "Alice Cancel, Sheldon Silver's Chosen Successor, Takes His Assembly Seat". Observer. Retrieved June 19, 2016.
  29. ^ "Silver crony Alice Cancel wins his state Assembly seat". The New York Post. Retrieved June 20, 2016.
  30. ^ McKinley, J. & Weiner, B. (July 20, 2020)"Sheldon Silver, Former N.Y. Assembly Speaker, Will Finally Go to Prison". New York Times. Retrieved July 24, 2020.
  31. ^ "Niou set to be new Assemblymember for Downtown – DOWNTOWN EXPRESS". www.downtownexpress.com. September 14, 2016. Retrieved December 28, 2017.
  32. ^ "Assembly primary challengers who are raising big money". CSNY. January 17, 2020.
  33. ^ "California Congressman Ro Khanna endorses Jenifer Rajkumar for Assembly District 38". QNS.com.
  34. ^ "The carpetbaggers in the 2020 primaries". CSNY. May 21, 2020.
  35. ^ Parrott, Max (July 23, 2020). "More insurgents claim primary wins". Queens Chronicle.
  36. ^ Sarkar, Shankhyaneel (November 4, 2020). "Indian-American lawyer Jenifer Rajkumar becomes first South Asian woman to be elected to New York State Assembly". Hindustan Times. Retrieved November 17, 2020.
  37. ^ "Jenifer Rajkumar - Assembly District 38 |Assembly Member Directory | New York State Assembly". nyassembly.gov. Retrieved August 6, 2022.
  38. ^ "Jenifer Rajkumar". Ballotpedia. Retrieved July 15, 2024.
  39. ^ "Jenifer Rajkumar". Ballotpedia. Retrieved July 15, 2024.
  40. ^ "Jenifer Rajkumar". Ballotpedia. Retrieved July 15, 2024.
  41. ^ "New York State Assemblymember Jenifer Rajkumar Introduces Legislation to Establish Diwali as Official Holiday". IndiaWest. May 15, 2021.
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