Suraj Budathoki

Last updated

Suraj Budathoki
Member of the
New Hampshire House of Representatives
from the Hillsborough 40th district
Incumbent
Assumed office
December 4, 2024
Personal details
Born
Samrang, Bhutan
Party Democratic [1]
SpouseGanga Thapa
Education Southern New Hampshire University (BA)
Norwich University (MA)

Suraj K. Budathoki is an American politician. He serves as a Democratic member for the Hillsborough 40th district of the New Hampshire House of Representatives. [2]

Contents

Early life and education

Budathoki was born in Samrang, Bhutan. Of Lhotshampa heritage, he left the country as a child due to political persecution and ethnic cleansing of the minority group. He spent 19 years in a refugee camp in Nepal before coming to the United States in 2009 as a refugee. [3]

He earned a Bachelor of Arts from Southern New Hampshire University in 2015 and a Master of Arts from Norwich University in 2018. He is currently a PhD candidate at Saybrook University.

Career

Budathoki's career experience includes working as a business executive. He and his wife, Ganga, founded Building Community in New Hampshire, formerly known as the Bhutanese Community of New Hampshire, an organization focused on refugee resettlement, economic development, and civic integration programs for immigrant populations in the state. [3]

In 2016, he worked on Bernie Sanders’ presidential campaign in New Hampshire as a deputy political director. [4]

In 2019, he co-founded Peace Initiative Bhutan (PIB), a nonprofit organization focused on advocacy for Bhutanese refugees and for congressional action on human rights in Bhutan. [5]

In 2024, he was elected to the New Hampshire House of Representatives. His election made him the first Bhutanese American elected to a state legislature. [5]

References

  1. ↑ "Suraj Budathoki". CitizensCount. Retrieved November 17, 2024.
  2. ↑ "Suraj Budathoki". Ballotpedia . Retrieved November 17, 2024.
  3. 1 2 Hernandez, Monica (May 13, 2022). "Bhutanese couple who found new home in New Hampshire wants to help others". WMUR-TV . Retrieved May 29, 2025.
  4. ↑ "From Refugee to State Representative: The Inspiring Political Journey of Suraj Budathoki". Sahityapost English. January 9, 2025. Retrieved March 30, 2025.
  5. 1 2 Pyakurel, Sudarshan (November 15, 2024). "Suraj Budathoki Becomes First Bhutanese-American State Representative". New Americans Magazine. Retrieved May 29, 2025.



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