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Shekar Krishnan | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Member of theNew York City Council from the25th district | |
| Assumed office January 1, 2022 | |
| Preceded by | Daniel Dromm |
| Personal details | |
| Born | (1985-06-05)June 5, 1985 (age 40) |
| Political party | Democratic |
| Education | Cooper Union (BS) University of Michigan (JD) |
| Website | Official website Campaign website |
Shekar Krishnan (born June 5, 1985)[1] is an American attorney and politician who is a member of theNew York City Council for the25th district, which covers the northwesternQueens neighborhoods ofJackson Heights,Elmhurst, parts ofEast Elmhurst, and a small piece ofWoodside.[2]
Krishnan was born to immigrant parents fromKerala,India.[3]
He received aBachelor of Sciences in engineering fromThe Cooper Union and aJuris Doctor from theUniversity of Michigan Law School.[4]
Krishnan worked as an associate for law firmsWeil, Gotshal & Manges andPatterson Belknap Webb & Tyler.[5] He was also an attorney at Brooklyn Legal Services Corporation A, directing the organization’sfair housing and tenant advocacy divisions.[4] He is the co-founder of Communities Resist, a legal services organization that represents tenants and neighborhood coalitions in fair housing litigation and anti-displacement advocacy ingentrified neighborhoods.[6][7]
Krishnan announced his candidacy in the2021 Democratic primary for the25th District of theNew York City Council on November 17, 2020.[6][8] Incumbent CouncilmemberDaniel Dromm wasterm-limited and could not run for reelection. He was endorsed by Dromm,U.S. RepresentativeNydia Velazquez, andState SenatorsJulia Salazar andJohn Liu.[9] He centered his campaign on immigrant rights, thetaxi medallion crisis,affordable housing, andclimate justice.[10]
Krishnan won theranked-choice primary with 53.4% of all votes cast.[11] He won the general election with 60% of the vote.[12] Along withShahana Hanif, Krishnan is one of the firstSouth Asians to serve in theNew York City Council.[13][10] Days after being elected, Krishnan was arrested along with Hanif andAssemblymemberZohran Mamdani for protesting alongsidetaxi drivers.[14]
| Party | Candidate | Maximum round | Maximum votes | Share in maximum round | Maximum votes First round votes Transfer votes | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Democratic | Shekar Krishnan | 7 | 6,352 | 53.4% | | |
| Democratic | Yi Chen | 7 | 5,549 | 46.6% | | |
| Democratic | Carolyn Tran | 6 | 3,045 | 23.6% | | |
| Democratic | Alfonso Quiroz | 5 | 1,986 | 14.5% | | |
| Democratic | Fatima Baryab | 4 | 1,687 | 11.8% | | |
| Democratic | Liliana Melo | 3 | 1,041 | 7.1% | | |
| Democratic | Manuel Perez | 2 | 513 | 3.4% | | |
| Democratic | William Salgado | 2 | 282 | 1.9% | | |
| Write-in | 1 | 35 | 0.2% | | ||
Krishnan introduced a bill to decriminalizestreet vending without a license.[16] The City Council overrode a mayoral veto to approve the bill in September 2025.[17]
Krishnan endorsedZohran Mamdani in the2025 mayoral general election.[18]
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)