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Shilpa Prem becomes first South Asian woman elected to Kirkland City Council
Final results released by King County Elections show Prem winning 12,405 votes, or 51.21 percent.
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Malvika Choudhary - Sat, 15, Nov 2025
- 10:11 EST
- 38
Shilpa Prem / electshilpaprem.com
Indian-American leader and tech lawyer Shilpa Prem made local history after securing a narrow victory in the race for Kirkland City Council Position 3, becoming the first South Asian woman elected to the body.
Final results released by King County Elections show Prem winning 12,405 votes, or 51.21 percent, against Catie Malik, who received 11,756 votes (48.53 percent). A total of 24,226 votes were cast in the contest.
Also Read: Ashish Vaidya elected to Centennial City Council in Colorado
Emerge Washington, which trains Democratic women to run for office, said the outcome underscored the importance of late-counted ballots in close local races.
Congratulations to Shilpa Prem, elected to the Kirkland City Council Position 3 in Washington! A champion for families and small businesses, Shilpa brings energy and empathy to local leadership. pic.twitter.com/uC8MkUkBsh
— Indian American Impact (@IA_Impact) November 14, 2025
In a statement celebrating Prem’s win, the organization said the race “wasn’t until all ballots were counted that we saw the tide shift in Shilpa’s favor,” describing her as a “thoughtful strategic thinker” whose “strong sense of justice” and background in engineering and law would serve the city well.
Indian American Impact also welcomed the result, noting her work on behalf of families and small businesses and saying she “brings energy and empathy to local leadership.”
Prem, a resident of Kirkland’s South Rose Hill neighborhood, is a senior corporate counsel at Amazon, where she advises on AI and machine learning-enabled technologies in the healthcare sector.
Earlier, she worked at major law firms and in the pharmaceutical and medical device industries. Her public service includes work with Washington CeaseFire, the South Asian Bar Association, and representation of children impacted by abuse and neglect in court proceedings.
Born in the Pacific Northwest to Indian immigrant parents, Prem holds degrees from Oregon State University, Suffolk University Law School, and Harvard University. She has lived in Kirkland with her husband and twins for three years and has been active in community organizations, including Emerge Washington.
On her campaign website, Prem said that “decisions affecting Kirkland should be made thoughtfully, incorporating diverse perspectives and a thorough analysis of the pros and cons,” and emphasized consensus-building and listening as core to her approach to governing.
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