Priya Sundareshan nominated for Rising Star Award by EMILYs List

Indian American Arizona state Senator recognized for her bold leadership on voting rights, environmental protection, and reproductive rights

By Arun Kumar 

Indian American Arizona state Senator Priya Sundareshan has been nominated for the prestigious Gabrielle Giffords Rising Star Award by EMILYs List, recognising her bold leadership on issues like voting rights, environmental protection, and reproductive rights.

“This year’s nominees give us so much hope at a critical moment when Republicans are trying to take this country backwards,” said  the Democratic organization announcing six nominees for 2025.

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“These EMILYs List state and local champions are fighting for the will of the American people every day, and their leadership is essential to holding Trump accountable and defending our most fundamental freedoms,” it said.

The Gabrielle Giffords Rising Star Award, named after the former Arizona Congresswoman and gun control advocate, will be presented later this year by EMILYs List.

As the representative for Arizona’s 18th Senate District, Sundareshan has emerged as a powerful voice in state politics, fiercely opposing extreme abortion bans and introducing a bill to protect contraception access.

Serving as Minority Leader in the Arizona Senate, she plays a pivotal role on key committees and received the Rising Environmental Leader Award from the National Caucus of Environmental Legislators in 2023. She also serves as ranking member on the Senate Federalism Committee, also sits on the Rules and Natural Resources committees.

As a mother of two, Sundareshan is committed to using science-based policymaking to create a better future for the next generations.

Before entering public office, Sundareshan led the Natural Resource Use and Management Clinic at the James E. Rogers College of Law and worked as an attorney focused on sustainability, climate change, and natural resource protection. She also played a pivotal role in voter protection efforts and redistricting engagement within the Arizona Democratic Party.

Sundareshan, born to an Indian-American family in Tucson, Arizona, has built a career blending law, sustainability, and advocacy. She earned a Bachelor of Science in chemical engineering from MIT in 2006, followed by a Juris Doctor and a Master’s in natural resource economics from the University of Arizona in 2011.

Her legal career includes roles at the Environmental Defence Fund, Pillsbury Winthrop Shaw Pittman in Washington, DC, and PA Consulting Group in Cambridge, MA.