{"campaigns":[{"candidatename":"Raumesh Akbari","chatgptsummary":"Akbari served in the Tennessee House and Senate, providing direct experience with legislative processes including drafting, amending, and voting on bills. Her role as Chairwoman of the Senate Democratic Caucus demonstrates leadership within the chamber\u2019s organizational structure. As an attorney, she possesses statutory training relevant to policy judgment on statewide matters. She held committee positions in Education and Commerce, addressing key budget and regulatory areas. Her board memberships with the National Civil Rights Museum and Downtown Memphis Commission indicate engagement with constituent relations across Shelby County.","notes":"","party":"D","person":{"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","firstname":"Raumesh","lastname":"Akbari","middlename":null,"suffix":null,"token":"u2VsKqpvuv"},"token":"raumesh_akbari"}],"choices":null,"description":"","district":null,"districtgroup":null,"districtgroupname":null,"districtname":null,"job_type":"state_senator","o.office":null,"office":"state_senate_29","officedescription":"The Tennessee Senate is the upper chamber of the state legislature, with 33 members elected from single-member districts to four-year terms. Senators pass state laws, approve the state budget, confirm certain gubernatorial appointments, and \u2014 with the House \u2014 propose constitutional amendments.","officequalities":"- **Integrity** \u2014 Acts in the interest of constituents and the public good rather than for personal gain, and remains independent of undue influence from donors, lobbyists, and party leadership.\n- **Understanding of the constituency** \u2014 Grasps both the economic-development needs of the district and the day-to-day concerns of individual residents \u2014 safety, healthcare, education, infrastructure.\n- **Persuasion** \u2014 Engages, listens to, and persuades both fellow legislators and constituents. Can change minds and explain votes honestly.\n- **Legislative craft** \u2014 Reads, drafts, and amends statute with care. Understands how specific bill language translates to outcomes, and knows the body of law being modified.\n- **Coalition-building** \u2014 Finds common ground across partisan and factional lines, brokers compromises that hold, and forms working majorities even when consensus is hard to reach.","officeterm":4,"officetitle":"State Senator","partisan":1,"pgr":"primary","quantity":1,"referendum":"","source":null,"title":"Tennessee Senate District 29"}