Abbas Akhil

Abbas Akhil is an Indian-American politician and engineer who served as a member of the New Mexico House of Representatives from 2019 to 2021. When he took office on January 15, 2019, Akhil became the first Muslim member of the New Mexico Legislature.

Early life and education

Born in India, Akhil earned a Bachelor of Science in mechanical engineering from Aligarh Muslim University. He then relocated to New Mexico, where he earned a Master of Science in industrial engineering from New Mexico State University.

Career

Prior to entering politics, Akhil worked as an engineer at Sandia National Laboratories. In 2017, he ran unsuccessfully for a seat on the Albuquerque Public Schools Board. In 2018, he defeated incumbent Republican Jim Dines to represent the 20th district. In October 2019, Akhil announced that he would not run for re-election in 2020.