Raumesh Akbari

Current office and 2026 campaign

Raumesh Akbari is a Democratic member of the Tennessee State Senate representing District 29, which encompasses parts of Memphis in Shelby County¹⁴. She assumed office on November 6, 2018, and her current term ends on November 3, 2026¹. Since January 10, 2023, Akbari has served as the Senate Minority Leader¹².

Akbari is seeking re-election to the Tennessee State Senate for District 29 in the 2026 cycle¹. She is scheduled to appear on the ballot in the Democratic primary on August 6, 2026¹.

Background and education

Raumesh Aleza Akbari was born in Memphis, Tennessee, on April 14, 1984 ²¹³. She grew up in Memphis and self-describes as a Christian ⁶⁹. Her political groundwork began during her time as a student at Washington University in St. Louis, where she engaged in student leadership activities before graduating with a Bachelor of Arts degree in 2006 ⁴⁹¹¹. She subsequently earned her Juris Doctor from Saint Louis University School of Law in 2009 ⁴¹⁰.

Career

Raumesh Akbari is an attorney and a graduate of Washington University in St. Louis (B.A., 2006) and Saint Louis University School of Law (J.D., 2009)²⁴. Before entering politics, she worked as an attorney in Memphis while also working in her family’s beauty supply business⁹¹¹.

Akbari was first elected to the Tennessee House of Representatives for District 91 in a special election in 2013, following the death of Representative Lois DeBerry⁷¹¹. She served three terms in the state House from November 2013 until January 2019²⁴. During her tenure in the House, she was recognized for her work on economic development, including championing the Community Resurgence Job Tax Credit, which provides a $2,500 tax credit to businesses creating ten full-time jobs in low-income areas⁵. She also received the State Legislative Leaders Foundation Lois M. DeBerry Scholarship to participate in the Governing Institute’s Women in Government Leadership Program⁵.

Akbari was elected to the Tennessee State Senate for District 29 in November 2018, assuming office on January 8, 2019¹². She has served as the Senate Minority Leader since January 10, 2023¹². In the Senate, she serves on the Commerce and Labor Committee, the Energy, Agriculture and Natural Resources Committee, and the Ethics Committee, and acts as the second vice-chair of the Education Committee¹⁰¹². She is also a co-chair of the Tennessee Future Caucus¹⁰.

Office history

Akbari first entered elected office in November 2013 when she won a special election to the Tennessee House of Representatives for District 91, filling the seat vacated by the death of Representative Lois DeBerry ²⁷. She was subsequently re-elected to full four-year terms in 2014 and 2016, serving three total terms in the House until January 8, 2019 ²⁸. During her tenure in the House, she served on the Criminal Justice Committee and the Education-Instructions & Programs Committee ⁶.

Akbari was elected to the Tennessee State Senate for District 29 in November 2018, assuming office on January 8, 2019 ¹². She has since been re-elected to full four-year terms in 2020 and 2024, with her current term ending on November 3, 2026 ¹. In the Senate, she serves on the Commerce and Labor Committee, the Energy, Agriculture and Natural Resources Committee, and the Ethics Committee, while also serving as Second Vice-Chair of the Senate Education Committee ¹⁰¹².

In January 2023, Akbari was elected Senate Minority Leader, a position she continues to hold ¹². She also serves as Co-Chair of the Tennessee Future Caucus and chair of the Senate Democratic Caucus ¹⁰. She is on the ballot for re-election in the Democratic primary scheduled for August 6, 2026 ¹.

Legislative record and accomplishments

As Senate Minority Leader since January 2023, Akbari has prioritized legislation addressing education policy, including efforts to phase out the state-run Achievement School District ¹²⁴. She serves as a member of the Senate Commerce and Labor Committee, the Senate Energy, Agriculture and Natural Resources Committee, and the Senate Ethics Committee, while also holding the position of Second Vice-Chair of the Senate Education Committee ¹⁰¹².

In the area of criminal justice infrastructure, Akbari introduced legislation alongside Representative John Gillespie to allow Shelby County to increase its local sales tax from 2.75% to 3.75%, a measure projected to raise over $1 billion to fund a new county jail ³. During her tenure in the Tennessee House of Representatives, she championed the Community Resurgence Job Tax Credit, which provides a $2,500 tax credit to businesses that create ten full-time jobs in low-income areas ⁵.

Business interests and wealth source

Akbari’s professional background is rooted in law and family business ownership. She worked as an attorney in her family’s beauty supply business in Memphis before entering politics ⁹¹¹. Her educational credentials include a Bachelor of Arts from Washington University in St. Louis and a Juris Doctor from Saint Louis University School of Law ²⁴¹⁰.

In 2013, Akbari was practicing law and working within the family enterprise when she decided to run for the Tennessee House of Representatives ⁹¹¹. She has since established herself as a voice on economic development, championing measures such as the Community Resurgence Job Tax Credit, which provides tax credits to businesses creating jobs in low-income areas ⁵.

Specific details regarding her current ownership stakes, personal wealth sources beyond the family business, or significant financial disclosures are not provided in the available source material.

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