Tina Maharath

Tina Maharath is an American politician currently serving as an Ohio State Senator from the 3rd District. As a Democrat, Maharath won election to the Senate in a highly close race with Republican challenger Anne Gonzales, after having her campaign written off as a lost cause by most Democrats. Maharath is also notable for being the first Asian-American woman in the Ohio Senate and the first Laotian-American elected into public office

Maharath is from Whitehall, Ohio, the daughter of Laotian refugees. Her father served the U.S. Army under the Laos Army while her mother worked as a nurse in the Laos Army.Maharath is a third-generation politician, and the first woman to hold office in her family. Maharath has a bachelor's degree in political science from Ohio University.