Darshana Patel
American politician (born 1974)
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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.[1] A member of the Democratic Party, she previously served as President of the Poway Unified School District and as a commissioner of the California Commission on Asian and Pacific Islander Affairs.
Darshana Patel | |
|---|---|
Official portrait, 2024 | |
| Member of the California State Assembly from the 76th district | |
| Assumed office December 2, 2024 | |
| Preceded by | Brian Maienschein |
| Personal details | |
| Born | 1974 (age 51–52) |
| Party | Democratic |
| Education | Occidental College(BA) UC Irvine(PhD) |
Website | Campaign website |
| Academic background | |
| Thesis | Characterization of membrane binding properties of annexins (1997) |
| Academic work | |
| Discipline | Biophysics |
Early life, education, and career
Patel was born in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania to Gujarati 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.[2][3][4]
Patel previously worked in oncology research at Genentech, where she researched new methods of cancer treatment and delivering chemotherapy.[5]
California Assembly
Patel was elected to the California State Assembly in 2024, defeating Republican Kristie Bruce-Lane.[6] She is the first Hindu woman to serve in the California State Legislature.[7]
In March 2025, Patel introduced a bill to close a loophole which made threats only illegal if they target specific individuals thus preventing the prosecution of threats made against institutions such as schools, places of worship, or medical facilities.[8] In June, Patel and Ash Kalra's bill to make Diwali a new state public holiday passed the assembly unanimously.[9]
Personal life
Patel lives in the Rancho Peñasquitos neighborhood of San Diego with her husband and three daughters.
Electoral history
| 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 | 113,242 | 54.0 | |
| Republican | Kristie Bruce-Lane | 96,358 | 46.0 | |
| Total votes | 209,600 | 100.0 | ||
| Democratic hold | ||||