๐๐ข๐ญ๐ซ๐ ๐๐ฎ๐๐๐๐ข ๐๐ฅ๐๐๐ญ๐๐ ๐ญ๐จ ๐๐๐ง๐ญ๐ฎ๐๐ค๐ฒ ๐๐ญ๐๐ญ๐ ๐๐จ๐ฎ๐ฌ๐, ๐๐ง๐๐ซ๐๐๐ฌ๐ข๐ง๐ ๐๐ก๐ฎ๐ญ๐๐ง๐๐ฌ๐-๐๐ฆ๐๐ซ๐ข๐๐๐ง ๐๐๐ฉ๐ซ๐๐ฌ๐๐ง๐ญ๐๐ญ๐ข๐จ๐ง
Mitra Subedi, born in Bhutan and raised partly in a refugee camp in Nepal, has been elected to the Kentucky House of Representatives for District 30. He won the seat in the general election held on 3 November.
According to the Kentucky Secretary of Stateโs election results, Subedi received 8,234 votes. His term is due to begin on 1 January 2027.
His election marks another step forward for Bhutanese Americans seeking a voice in U.S. public life.
๐ ๐ซ๐จ๐ฆ ๐ซ๐๐๐ฎ๐ ๐๐ ๐๐๐ฆ๐ฉ ๐ญ๐จ ๐ฉ๐ฎ๐๐ฅ๐ข๐ ๐จ๐๐๐ข๐๐ย
Subedi was born in Chirang, in southern Bhutan. He belongs to the Nepali-speaking Bhutanese community, many of whom were forced to leave the country in the early 1990s. Like thousands of other Bhutanese refugees, he spent time in refugee camps in Nepal before resettling in the United States.
He moved to the US in 2011 and settled in Kentucky. He holds a graduate degree from Tribhuvan University in Nepal and has worked as an educator in Jefferson County Public Schools.
He has also been involved in Kentucky’s Bhutanese community. Subedi first stood for the District 30 seat in 2024 but narrowly lost the Democratic primary to incumbent Daniel Grossberg. He contested the seat again in 2026, won the Democratic primary and went on to win the general election.
His priorities include public education, affordable housing, access to healthcare, workersโ rights and safer communities.
๐๐ก๐ฎ๐ญ๐๐ง๐๐ฌ๐ ๐๐ฆ๐๐ซ๐ข๐๐๐ง๐ฌ ๐ข๐ง ๐๐ ๐ฉ๐จ๐ฅ๐ข๐ญ๐ข๐๐ฌ
Subedi joins a growing number of Bhutanese Americans who have entered public life in the United States.
Bhuwan Pyakurel became the first Bhutanese American to be elected to public office in the United States when he won a seat on Reynoldsburg City Council in Ohio in 2019. He was re-elected in 2023. In November 2024, Suraj Budathoki became the first Bhutanese American elected to a US state legislature, winning a seat in the New Hampshire House of Representatives.
Subediโs election brings another Bhutanese American into a state legislature, this time in Kentucky.
๐๐จ๐ง๐ ๐ซ๐๐ญ๐ฎ๐ฅ๐๐ญ๐ข๐จ๐ง๐ฌ ๐๐ซ๐จ๐ฆ ๐ญ๐ก๐ ๐๐ก๐ฎ๐ญ๐๐ง๐๐ฌ๐ ๐๐จ๐ฆ๐ฆ๐ฎ๐ง๐ข๐ญ๐ฒ
Subediโs election has been welcomed by Bhutanese-American elected representatives, community organisations and advocates.
Bhuwan Pyakurel congratulated him in a Facebook post, writing: โCongratulations! History in making. The first Bhutanese American to be elected in any public office in the great state of KY!โ
The Global Bhutanese Organisation (GBO) also congratulated Subedi. In a congratulatory graphic, the organisation identified him as its Vice-President and described his election as a proud moment for the Bhutanese community.
Ram Karki, a Hague-based human rights activist and Bhutanese community advocate, also posted his congratulations on Facebook. He described Subediโs journey from refugee life to elected office as inspiring and said his achievement would give hope to younger generations. Karki wished him well in his new role and hoped he would serve with honesty and dedication.
๐๐จ๐จ๐ค๐ข๐ง๐ ๐๐ก๐๐๐
For Bhutanese Americans, whose community has a history of displacement and resettlement, taking part in public life is important. Their growing presence in local and state government reflects their contribution to the country they now call home.
Subedi is due to take office in January 2027. His election will give the Bhutanese-American community another representative in a US state legislature.