Abbas Akhil
Abbas Akhil is an Indian-American politician, currently serving as a member of the New Mexico House of Representatives from the 20th district, which covers portions of southeastern Albuquerque, New Mexico and Four Hills Village. When he took office on January 15, 2019, Akhil became the first Muslim member of the New Mexico Legislature.[1][2][3][4]
Abbas Akhil | |
---|---|
Member of the New Mexico House of Representatives from the 20th district | |
Assumed office January 15, 2019 | |
Preceded by | Jim Dines |
Personal details | |
Born | Abbas Ali Akhil India |
Political party | Democratic |
Alma mater | Aligarh Muslim University (BS) New Mexico State University (MS) |
Early life and education
Born in India, Akhil earned a Bachelor of Science in Mechanical Engineering from Aligarh Muslim University. He then relocated to New Mexico, where he earned a Master of Science in Industrial Engineering from New Mexico State University.[5]
Career
Prior to entering politics, Akhil worked as an engineer at Sandia National Laboratories. In 2017, he ran unsuccessfully for a seat on the Albuquerque Public Schools Board. In 2018, he defeated incumbent Republican Jim Dines to represent the 20th district.[6] In October 2019, Akhil announced that he would not run for re-election in 2020.
References
- Writer, Dan McKay | Journal Staff. "Akhil, 1st Muslim legislator, opts against re-election". www.abqjournal.com. Retrieved 2020-04-20.
- "Abbas Ali Akhil". Ballotpedia. Retrieved 2020-04-20.
- "The Latest: New Mexico's 1st Muslim lawmaker takes office". AP NEWS. 2019-01-15. Retrieved 2020-04-20.
- "An all-American story starring an immigrant". AP NEWS. 2018-12-10. Retrieved 2020-04-20.
- "The Voter's Self Defense System". Vote Smart. Retrieved 2020-04-20.
- msimonich@sfnewmexican.com, Milan Simonich |. "Blue wave washes away a straight shooter". Santa Fe New Mexican. Retrieved 2020-04-20.