Jay Jyoti Chaudhuri

Jay J. Chaudhuri is the incumbent Democratic State Senator for North Carolina’s 15th Senate District, covering Raleigh, Cary, and Garner. He is seeking re‑election in the November 3, 2026 general election for a term that would run from January 1, 2027 to January 1, 2029. North Carolina State Senators serve two‑year terms, represent roughly 200,000 residents, and are responsible for drafting, debating, and voting on state legislation, approving the state budget, and providing oversight of state agencies ¹¹⁰.

Born Jyoti Chaudhuri on June 8, 1969 (some sources list August 6, 1969) to Bengali immigrant parents, Chaudhuri grew up in Fayetteville after moving from Chattanooga, Tennessee at age three ¹¹¹⁸. He earned a B.A. from Davidson College, a Master of International Affairs from Columbia University’s School of International and Public Affairs, and a J.D. with honors from North Carolina Central University School of Law ¹¹¹⁸.

Before entering elected office, Chaudhuri spent two decades working across all three branches of North Carolina government. He served as a special counsel to Attorney General Roy Cooper, helping lead a multi‑state investigation that resulted in a landmark agreement with major social‑media platforms to protect children ¹⁸. He later acted as General Counsel and senior policy advisor to State Treasurer Janet Cowell, where he helped recover nearly $100 million for pension and escheat funds and helped launch the state’s $230 million Innovation Fund ¹⁸. Chaudhuri also taught as an adjunct law professor at North Carolina Central University and worked part‑time as counsel for the plaintiff firm Cohen Milstein ¹¹¹⁸.

Chaudhuri was first appointed to the North Carolina Senate on April 19, 2016 to fill the vacancy left by Josh Stein in the 16th District ¹¹¹. After redistricting, he ran for and won the 15th District seat in 2018 and has been re‑elected in 2020, 2022, and 2024, most recently with 65.95 % of the vote ¹¹¹. In January 2019 his Democratic colleagues elected him Senate Minority Whip, the second‑highest leadership position in the chamber, a role he continues to hold ¹¹¹⁴¹⁰.

During his tenure Chaudhuri has served on numerous committees, including the Agriculture, Energy, and Environment Committee; Appropriations on Education/Higher Education; Senate Finance; Pensions and Retirement and Aging; Rules and Operations of the Senate; and the Senate Transportation Committee ¹. He has sponsored legislation on a range of issues, notably co‑authoring the Hate Crimes Prevention Act (SB 794) that expanded protections for LGBTQ + individuals ¹⁴. He has also championed funding for early‑grade class sizes, gun‑violence prevention measures in schools, and economic development initiatives such as attracting a major information‑technology innovation hub projected to create 2,000 jobs with salaries above the Wake County median ¹⁸.

Chaudhuri is the first Indian‑American elected to the North Carolina General Assembly ¹¹. He lives in Raleigh’s Cameron Village neighborhood with his wife Sejal and their two children, both attending Wake County public schools ¹⁸.

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