Darshana Patel
Office Seeking: Assembly District (CA-76)
Primary: March 5th, 2024
General: November 5th, 2024
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Provided Biography:
Dr. Darshana Patel is a research scientist, School Board President, mom, community leader, and lifelong Democrat.
Darshana is the daughter of immigrants who moved to California when she was a teen. After losing her mother suddenly at age 14, Darshana was drawn to the medical and health research fields. Darshana earned a B.A. in Biochemistry at Occidental College and a Ph.D. in Biophysics from the University of California, Irvine. Following a successful career in biotechnology research, Darshana worked to find other ways to give back to her community.
In 2016, as the Poway Unified School District struggled because of financial mismanagement and criminal embezzlement, Darshana ran for school board to get the district back on track. As an elected Trustee, Darshana has helped restore effective governance and fiscal responsibility to the Poway Unified School District, while guiding local schools through the COVID-19 pandemic. Voters overwhelmingly reelected Darshana in 2020. In addition to her work on the School Board, Darshana serves on the California Commission on Asian and Pacific Islander American Affairs, as President of the San Diego County School Boards Association, as a member of the San Diego County Democratic Party Central Committee, as a CADEM Delegate, and as a member of the SDPD Northeastern Division Captain’s Advisory Board. Darshana has previously held executive positions on the Rancho Peñasquitos Planning Board, Rancho Peñasquitos Town Council, Park Village Elementary School PTA and Education Foundation Board.
Darshana, her husband, and their three daughters live in San Diego.
Endorsements:
United States Congressman Ro Khanna
State Senator Dede Alpert (Ret.)
State Superintendent of Public Instruction Delaine Eastin
State Assemblymember Tasha Boerner Horvath
San Diego City Attorney Mara Elliott
Carlsbad Mayor Pro Tem Priya Bhat-Patel
Escondido City Councilmember Olga Diaz (Ret.)
Oceanside City Councilmember Eric Joyce
San Diego City Councilmember Marni Von Wilpert
San Diego City Councilmember Raul Campillo
Del Mar Union School District Board President Gee Wah Mok
Encinitas Union School District Board Member Marla Strich
Escondido Elementary School District Board Member Doug Paulson
Palomar College Governing Board Vice President Roberto Rodriguez
Palomar College Governing Board Member Judy Patacsil
Palomar College Governing Board Member Kartik Raju (Ret.)
Poway Unified School District Board Vice President Michelle O’Connor-Ratcliff
Poway Unified School District Board Member Heather Plotzke
Rancho Peñasquitos Planning Board Chair Thomas Clark (Ret.)
Redwood City School District Board Trustee Alisa MacAvoy
San Diego County Office of Education Board President Rick Shea
San Diego Unified Board of Education Vice President Shana Hazan
San Dieguito Union High School District Board Member Julie Bronstein (Ret.)
San Dieguito Union High School District Board Vice-President Jane Lea Smith
San Dieguito Union High School District Board Member Katrina Young
San Marcos Unified School Board Vice President Carlos Ulloa
San Marcos Unified School Board Trustee Sarah Ahmad
San Marcos Unified School Board Trustee Stacy Carlson
San Marcos Unified School Board Trustee Andrés Martín
Solana Beach School District Board Vice President Debra Schade
Vallecitos Water District Director Tiffany Boyd-Hodgson
Vista Unified School District Board President Martha Alvarado
Vista Unified School District Board Member Rena Marrocco
California Democratic Party API Caucus Chair Deepa Sharma
California Democratic Party Children’s Caucus Chair Ann Crosbie
California Commission on Asian & Pacific Islander American Affairs Kirin Macapugay
California Commission on Asian & Pacific Islander American Affairs Judy Ki (Ret.)
City of San Diego Civil Service Commission Sunday Gover
Rancho Bernardo Democratic Club Vice President Hugh Rothman
San Diego County Democratic Party Chair Francine Busby (Ret.)
San Diego County Democratic Party Central Committee Member Melinda Vásquez
San Diego County Democratic Party Central Committee Member Octavio Aguilar
San Diego County Democratic Party Central Committee Member Lauren Bier
The Democratic Club of 92127 President Katie Kemple (Ret.)
Healthcare advocate Erik Marquis
*Titles and organization names listed for identification purposes.