Nima Kulkarni
Nima Kulkarni is an American immigration attorney and Democratic member of the Kentucky House of Representatives, representing District 40 since January 1, 2019. She won the 2018 Democratic primary against incumbent Dennis Horlander and then secured the general election. She is the first Indian-American elected as a Kentucky state representative.
Kulkarni was born in India on December 23, 1978, and moved to the United States at age six. Her parents, Suhas and Surekha, wanted better educational opportunities for their children. She grew up in the Jefferson County Public School system.
She earned a BA in English Literature and an MBA in Entrepreneurship from the University of Louisville, and a JD from the University of the District of Columbia David A. Clarke School of Law. In 2010 she founded Indus Law Firm, focusing on immigration and employment law; in 2013, the firm was named to Business First’s 40 Under 40 list. She also started the New Americans Initiative, a Louisville nonprofit that helps Kentucky’s immigrant population.
Kulkarni’s 2018 campaign emphasized raising the minimum wage, boosting the economy while protecting pensions, improving immigration policies, supporting education, and expanding healthcare access for Kentuckians. In office, she has sponsored legislation on higher wages, better healthcare coverage, police reform, and education, and in 2020 proposed a bill to strengthen protections for victims of domestic or sexual assault. She resides in Louisville, Kentucky.
This page was last edited on 2 February 2026, at 02:59 (CET).