{"age":42,"biography":"## Current office and 2026 campaign\nRaumesh Akbari is a Democratic member of the Tennessee State Senate representing District 29, which encompasses parts of Memphis in Shelby County [1][2]. She assumed office on January 8, 2019, and her current term ends on November 3, 2026 [1]. Since January 10, 2023, Akbari has served as Senate Minority Leader [1][2].\n\nAkbari is seeking re-election to Tennessee State Senate District 29 in the 2026 cycle and is scheduled to appear on the Democratic primary ballot on August 6, 2026 [1].\n\n## Background and education\nRaumesh Aleza Akbari was born in Memphis, Tennessee, on April 14, 1984 [2]. She earned a Bachelor of Arts from Washington University in St. Louis in 2006 and a Juris Doctor from Saint Louis University School of Law in 2009 [2][4].\n\n## Career\nAkbari is an attorney. Before entering politics, she worked as an attorney in Memphis and in her family's beauty supply business [9][11].\n\n## Office history\nAkbari was first elected to the Tennessee House of Representatives for District 91 in a special election in 2013, following the death of Representative Lois DeBerry [7][11]. She was subsequently re-elected to the House in 2014 and 2016, serving until January 2019 [2].\n\nDuring her tenure in the House, she championed the Community Resurgence Job Tax Credit, which provides a $2,500 tax credit to businesses creating ten full-time jobs in low-income areas [5]. She received the State Legislative Leaders Foundation Lois M. DeBerry Scholarship to participate in the Governing Institute's Women in Government Leadership Program [5].\n\nAkbari was elected to the Tennessee State Senate for District 29 in November 2018 [1][2]. In the Senate, she serves on the Commerce and Labor Committee, the Energy, Agriculture and Natural Resources Committee, the Ethics Committee, and is Second Vice-Chair of the Education Committee [10][12]. She is also Co-Chair of the Tennessee Future Caucus [10].\n\nIn January 2023, Akbari was elected Senate Minority Leader [1][2].\n\n## Legislative record and accomplishments\nAkbari has prioritized legislation addressing education policy, including efforts to phase out the state-run Achievement School District [1][2][4]. She introduced legislation alongside Representative John Gillespie to allow Shelby County to increase its local sales tax to fund a new county jail [3].\n\n## Sources\n[1] [Ballotpedia](https://ballotpedia.org/Raumesh_Akbari)\n[2] [Wikipedia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Raumesh_Akbari)\n[3] [WREG](https://wreg.com/news/local/memphis-lawmakers-push-for-new-jail-with-tax-to-fund-it/)\n[4] [Grokipedia](https://grokipedia.com/page/Raumesh_Akbari)\n[5] [Governing Institute](https://www.governing.com/gov-institute/wig/raumesh-akbari.html)\n[6] [Alchetron](https://alchetron.com/Raumesh-Akbari)\n[7] [TBA Faculty Profile](https://cle.tba.org/faculty/profile/29736)\n[8] [BillTrack50](https://www.billtrack50.com/legislatordetail/19344)\n[9] [WashU Political Science](https://polisci.washu.edu/news/how-alumna-raumesh-akbari-built-career-tennessee-politics)\n[10] [Future Caucus](https://futurecaucus.org/future-caucus/state-future-caucus-network/state-caucus-chairs/raumesh-akbari/)\n[11] [WashU Arts & Sciences](https://artsci.washu.edu/ampersand/alumna-raumesh-akbari-built-career-tennessee-politics)\n[12] [NewDEAL](https://newdealleaders.org/leader/raumesh-akbari/)\n","birthdate":"Sat, 14 Apr 1984 00:00:00 GMT","campaigns":[{"contest":"tennessee_senate_district_29","county":"shelby","county_count":1,"electiondate":"Thu, 06 Aug 2026 00:00:00 GMT","pgr":"primary","state":"TN","title":"Tennessee Senate District 29"}],"cf_filings":[],"firstname":"Raumesh","fullname":"Raumesh Akbari","lastname":"Akbari","office_history":[{"campaigns":[{"contest":"tennessee_senate_district_29","contest_title":"Tennessee Senate District 29","county":"shelby","county_count":1,"electiondate":"2026-08-06","office_county":null,"office_key":"state_senate_29","office_title":null,"party":"D","pgr":"primary","state":"TN"}],"county":null,"cycles":[{"general":null,"party":"D","primary":{"contest":"tennessee_senate_district_29","contest_title":"Tennessee Senate District 29","county":"shelby","county_count":1,"electiondate":"2026-08-06","office_county":null,"office_key":"state_senate_29","office_title":null,"party":"D","pgr":"primary","state":"TN"},"term":null,"year":2026}],"office_key":"state_senate_29","office_title":"Tennessee Senate District 29","state":"TN","terms":[]}],"summary":"Raumesh Akbari is a Democratic Tennessee State Senator representing District 29 and serves as Senate Minority Leader.","terms":[],"token":"u2VsKqpvuv"}