Abbas Akhil
Member of the New Mexico House of Representatives
from the 20th district
In office
January 15, 2019 – January 19, 2021
Preceded byJim Dines
Succeeded byMeredith Dixon
Personal details
Born
Abbas Ali Akhil

India
Political partyDemocratic
EducationAligarh Muslim University (BS)
New Mexico State University (MS)

Abbas Akhil is an Indian-American politician and engineer who served as a member of the New Mexico House of Representatives from 2019 to 2021. When he took office on January 15, 2019, Akhil became the first Muslim member of the New Mexico Legislature.[1][2][3][4]

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

  1. ↑ McKay, Dan. "Akhil, 1st Muslim legislator, opts against re-election". www.abqjournal.com. Retrieved 2020-04-20.
  2. ↑ "Abbas Ali Akhil". Ballotpedia. Retrieved 2020-04-20.
  3. ↑ "The Latest: New Mexico's 1st Muslim lawmaker takes office". AP News. 2019-01-15. Retrieved 2020-04-20.
  4. ↑ "An all-American story starring an immigrant". AP News. 2018-12-10. Retrieved 2020-04-20.
  5. ↑ "The Voter's Self Defense System". Vote Smart. Retrieved 2020-04-20.
  6. ↑ Simonich, Milan (8 November 2018). "Blue wave washes away a straight shooter". Santa Fe New Mexican. Retrieved 2020-04-20.
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