Nirupama Kulkarni (born December 23, 1978) is an American immigration attorney and politician who has served as member of the Kentucky House of Representatives from Kentucky's 40th House district since January 2019.
She is the first foreign-born Indian-American member elected to the Kentucky General Assembly.
Early life and education Kulkarni was born in India and moved to the United States at the age of six. Her parents, Suhas and Surekha, sought to provide better educational opportunities for their two children, Nima and Nikhil. Kulkarni was educated in the Jefferson County Public School system before earning a Bachelor of Arts degree in English Literature and a Master of Business Administration degree from the University of Louisville. She earned her Juris Doctor at the University of the District of Columbia David A. Clarke School of Law.
Legal career and community involvement Kulkarni founded the Indus Law Firm in 2010 which specializes in immigration and employment law. In 2013, the firm was honored by Business First in its 40 Under 40 List.
Additionally, Kulkarni is the founder of the New Americans Initiative, a nonprofit operating in Louisville, which seeks to educate and assist Kentucky's immigrant population.
Political career
2018 Kentucky House election In 2018, Kulkarni challenged incumbent Dennis Horlander for Kentucky's 40th House district, campaigning on a platform of raising the minimum wage, protecting pensions, instituting immigration reform, supporting education, and providing healthcare to all Kentuckians. Kulkarni defeated Horlander in the Democratic primary, and won the general election that November against Republican nominee Joshua Neubert.
Tenure While in office, Kulkarni has sponsored legislation related to higher wages, improving healthcare coverage, police reform, and education. She also proposed a bill in 2020 with the goal of providing improved protections to victims of domestic or sexual assault.
Electoral history 2018
2020
2022
2024
References
External links Official page at the Kentucky General Assembly