Arvind Venkat
M.D.
Member of the Pennsylvania House of Representatives
from the 30th district
Assumed office
January 3, 2023
Preceded byLori Mizgorski (redistricting)
Personal details
BornJune 6, 1974
Madurai, India
Political partyDemocratic
Education

Arvind Venkat (born June 6, 1974[1]) is an American physician and politician. A member of the Democratic Party, he represents the 30th district in the Pennsylvania House of Representatives, which comprises the North Hills suburbs of Pittsburgh in Allegheny County.[2] Before entering politics, Venkat was an attending physician at Allegheny General Hospital, specializing in emergency medicine.[2]

Early life and education

Venkat was born in Madurai, India and raised in Detroit, Michigan by Indian immigrant parents.[1][2][3] He attended Detroit Country Day School for high school, graduating in 1992. Venkat graduated from Harvard University in 1996 with a Bachelor of Arts degree in History and Science and a Master of Arts degree in History of Science.[3] He then attended Yale School of Medicine where he graduated with a medical degree in 2000.[2][3][4]

Medical career

Venkat completed his residency in emergency medicine at the University of Cincinnati Academic Health Center in 2004.[4][5]

Venkat is an emergency physician affiliated with Allegheny Health Network,[4][6] which includes Allegheny General Hospital as its flagship hospital.[2][5] He also is a professor of emergency medicine at Drexel University College of Medicine.[4] From 2019 to 2020, Venkat served as president of the Pennsylvania chapter of the American College of Emergency Physicians (ACEP),[2][6] and in 2020, he was elected to the board of ACEP.[4]

Pennsylvania House of Representatives

Elections

2022

On February 24, 2022, Venkat announced his campaign for the Pennsylvania House of Representatives in the 30th district, which contains Ben Avon, Ben Avon Heights, Emsworth, Franklin Park, Kilbuck Township, McCandless, and Ohio Township, as well as parts of Hampton Township.[2][3] The 30th district was an open seat in 2022, since Republican incumbent Rep. Lori Mizgorski, who due to redistricting no longer resided in the district,[3] opted instead to run for the state senate against incumbent Lindsey Williams.[2] Election analysts predicted that the general election would be competitive and presented a pickup opportunity for the Democratic Party.[2]

In his announcement, Venkat said that he was motivated to run to address issues that often intersected with his work as an emergency physician, especially those that were exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic;[2] he identified strengthening emergency medical services and other first responder services, expanding access to affordable healthcare, and upgrading infrastructure as some of his priorities.[2][3][7] Venkat also voiced his support for voting rights protections,[2] gun control,[7] and efforts to combat climate change.[2]

In the aftermath of the U.S. Supreme Court decision Dobbs v. Jackson Women's Health Organization, which overturned Roe v. Wade and threatened abortion rights in many states where the Republican Party controlled one or more branches of state government,[3][8] Venkat spoke in favor of protecting abortion rights in Pennsylvania; he highlighted his perspective as a candidate with a medical background, recounting an experience where he treated a patient who needed emergency care following a covert, self-induced abortion.[3][8]

Venkat was unopposed in the Democratic primary. He faced Republican former Allegheny County councilmember Cindy Kirk in the general election,[7] prevailing by a margin of over 10 percentage points.[7]

Committee assignments

Venkat is a member of the following committees of the Pennsylvania House of Representatives:

  • Aging and Older Adult Services
  • Health
  • Human Services
  • Insurance
  • Professional Licensure

Tenure

Upon taking office, Venkat became the first state representative of Indian-American descent in state history,[2][9] as well as the first licensed physician in the state legislature in 60 years.[9]

Personal life

Venkat resides in McCandless, Pennsylvania with his wife Veena and their three children.[2]

Electoral history

Pennsylvania House of Representatives, 30th district, 2022[7]
Party Candidate Votes %
Democratic primary election
Democratic Arvind Venkat 7,959 100.00%
Total votes 7,959 100.00%
General election
Democratic Arvind Venkat 18,757 55.34%
Republican Cindy Kirk 15,136 44.66%
Total votes 33,893 100.00%
Democratic gain from Republican

References

  1. 1 2 "Arvind Venkat, M.D." Pennsylvania House of Representatives Archives. Retrieved January 16, 2023.
  2. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 Deto, Ryan (February 26, 2022). "Dr. Arvind Venkat announces run for North Hills state House seat". Pittsburgh Tribune-Review. Retrieved November 29, 2022.
  3. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 Potter, Chris (February 24, 2022). "ER physician launches bid for swing-seat district in North Hills". WESA. Retrieved November 29, 2022.
  4. 1 2 3 4 5 "Arvind Venkat, MD, FACEP". American College of Emergency Physicians. Archived from the original on June 22, 2021. Retrieved November 29, 2022.
  5. 1 2 "Dr. Arvind Venkat, MD". U.S. News & World Report. Archived from the original on November 29, 2022. Retrieved November 29, 2022.
  6. 1 2 Guggenheimer, Paul (March 17, 2020). "Pittsburgh doctor discusses attempts to avoid coronavirus 'nightmare'". Pittsburgh Tribune-Review. Retrieved November 29, 2022.
  7. 1 2 3 4 5 Giammarise, Kate; Boden, Sarah (November 9, 2022). "Democrat Arvind Venkat claims victory in state House District 30". WESA. Retrieved November 29, 2022.
  8. 1 2 Ali, Safia Samee (July 26, 2022). "Doctors are stepping into political arenas across the country over reproductive rights". NBC News. Retrieved November 29, 2022.
  9. 1 2 Yorgey, Tori (November 9, 2022). "Winners make history in 2022 midterm election". WTAE. Retrieved November 29, 2022.
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