Manka Dhingra | |
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Member of the Washington Senate from the 45th district | |
Assumed office November 29, 2017 | |
Preceded by | Dino Rossi |
Personal details | |
Born | 1973 or 1974 (age 49–50) Bhopal, India |
Political party | Independent (before 2016) Democratic (2016–present) |
Spouse | Harjit Singh |
Children | 2 |
Education | University of California, Berkeley (BA) University of Washington (JD) |
Signature | ![]() |
Website | Campaign website |
Manka Dhingra (born 1973 or 1974)[1][2] is an Indian-born American attorney and politician who is a Washington State senator. A member of the Democratic Party, she was elected to represent the 45th legislative district, on Seattle's Eastside in King County, during a 2017 special election.[3] Dhingra is the first Sikh elected to any state legislature in the United States.[4]
Dhingra, an Indian immigrant, founded the woman's advocacy organization API Chaya in 1996, and later worked under several elected officials at the state level. She joined the King County Prosecuting Attorney's office in 2000 and has led the department's expanding mental health and veterans courts.