Senator Manka Dhingra announces bid for WA Attorney General

Indian-American Washington (WA) State Senator Manka Dhingra (D-Redmond) announced her candidature for  State Attorney General post on May 8, 2023.

The first Sikh state legislator, Dhingra was elected to the senate in 2017 for a six year term. As a state senator, she serves as Deputy Majority Leader of the Senate, chair of the Law & Justice committee, and a member of the Behavioral Health subcommittee and Ways & Means committee.

Announcing her candidacy for the post, she said “Challenging injustices and keeping our families and communities safe has always been my north star, and with your support I’ll continue this work as our next Attorney General.”

Dhingra has been a Senior Deputy Prosecuting Attorney in King County since January 2000, and is the former chair of the Therapeutic Alternative Unit. In her professional capacity, attorney Dhingra  has also served as a member of Shoreline Police Department’s Advisory Group for Response Awareness De-escalation and Referral (RADAR) and participated in the Seattle Police Department’s Muslim, Sikh, and Arab Advisory Council.

Recipient of numerous awards, Dhingra founded API Chaya, a South Asian voluntary organization that helps survivors of domestic violence, sexual assault and trafficking.

The Richmond, WA resident holds a JD from the University of Washington School of Law, and a Bachelor of Arts degrees in History and Political Science from the University of California at Berkeley.