Current Redmond City Council member Tanika Padhye has announced she will seek to defend her seat in the upcoming election.
Padhye issued a press release laying out her vision for the city as well as her personal priorities as a council member.
In a release, she said her plan revolves around encouraging community engagement, planning for the city’s challenges ad promoting diversity.
Padhye has lived in Redmond for 13 years and considers the Pacific Northwest home. She grew up in Houston, Texas, as a child of immigrant parents.
She said in the release that her experience straddling the two cultures has instilled the importance of building bridges between community groups and ensuring all voices are heard.
She earned a bachelor of science in psychology from Texas A&M University and a juris doctor degree from Northeastern Law School in Boston. Through her law career, she has worked at the Greater Boston Legal Services and participated in the Northeastern Law School Law Clinic.
Padhye has also worked for various municipal governments in California.
She has also volunteered for the Northwest Justice Project, providing legal assistance for low-income King County residents and has worked for the Seattle Office for Civil Rights, investigating housing and employment discrimination cases.
In Redmond, Padhye said she has served on the Planning Commission and the Parks and Trails Commission and has assisted with updating the city’s comprehensive plan for managing growth. She has also been involved in exploring affordable housing options.
She currently serves as the chair of the Parks and Human Services Commission.
“I would like to retain my position on council so that I can continue to serve my community,” she said in the release. “I will work to find solutions to issues such as lack of affordable housing, increased traffic, and our aging community centers.”
Padhye lives on Education Hill with her husband and two sons. She was appointed to the city council in March to replace Kimberly Allen in Position 4.
Allen resigned in January, citing scheduling conflicts with her job.
