Daijiworld Media Network - New Delhi
Washington, Nov 10: Indian American Democrat Priya Sundareshan has been selected to lead the Arizona Senate as her party prepares to take control of the chamber for the first time since 1992, with a focus on reducing living costs for families and addressing the concerns of Southern Arizona.
Senate Democrats selected the Tucson lawmaker, who is the outgoing minority leader, as president-elect on November 6. She is scheduled to assume the post when the new Legislature convenes in January 2027.
Democrats won 20 of the Arizona Senate's 30 seats, giving the party a two-thirds majority compared to its current strength of 13 seats.
"We heard you loud and clear. Arizonans rejected partisan extremism and chose a new direction," Sundareshan said in the leadership announcement.
"I am proud of what we accomplished together during my time as minority leader, and I'm ready to lead us into the next chapter," she added.
Democrats are also on course to secure around 37 of the 60 seats in the state House, while Democratic Governor Katie Hobbs has won another term. The results would give the party control of the governorship and both legislative chambers for the first time since 1966.
House Democrats have selected Oscar De Los Santos as speaker-elect.
In an interview published on Monday by KJZZ/Capitol Media Services, Sundareshan said her selection would give Southern Arizona a stronger voice in decisions taken at the state Capitol in Phoenix.
"Southern Arizona has often complained about not having a representation in the majority at the legislature. Well, here we are," she said.
She is the first Tucson resident selected to lead the Senate in nearly 20 years. The last Democrat to serve as Senate president was Pete Rios, who held the position from 1991 to 1992.
University funding and road infrastructure are among the key regional concerns facing the incoming leadership.
Sundareshan said Democrats would work to prevent further cuts to university funding and ensure that regions outside Maricopa County receive fair treatment in budget allocations.
The incoming Democratic majority has identified reducing living costs for working families as its primary priority.
"We're united in our commitment to earn your trust every day by delivering results you can feel in your daily life," she said.
Sundareshan won re-election from District 18 with approximately 66 per cent of the vote.
Born and raised in Tucson in an Indian American family, she attended local public schools before earning a degree in chemical engineering from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) in 2006.
She subsequently obtained a law degree and a master's degree in agricultural and resource economics from the University of Arizona in 2011.
Before entering politics, Sundareshan taught natural resources law at the University of Arizona and directed its Natural Resource Use and Management Clinic. She also worked with the Environmental Defense Fund on sustainable resource management.
First elected to the Arizona Legislature in 2022, she assumed office in January 2023.