USA (Commonwealth Union)_ Shasti Conrad, an Indian-American political adviser, was appointed as the next head of the Washington State Democratic Party, making her the youngest and first Indian-American woman to hold the post of state party chair in the United States. Conrad, a 38-year-old political strategist, ran unchallenged with the backing of Governor Jay Inslee, Democratic US senators of Washington, the majority of the state’s Democratic congressional delegation, and the vast majority of other elected Democrats.
Conrad expressed pride over her accomplishment. She said, “I’m so honored to have the opportunity to serve as Chair of our state party and build on the outstanding success Washington Democrats have earned at the ballot box for the last six years”. Conrad has been contributing to political campaigns since 2008. She began her career as a field organizer and served in then-Senator Obama’s primary campaign. She released a statement expressing her excitement to serve on the post. She said, “I’m excited to work with Democratic leaders from every community to build an unprecedented field operation that will carry the message of how Washington Democrats are delivering for working families to each and every voter”.
A statement released by the Washington State Democrats read, “Today, Shasti Conrad was elected Chair of the Washington State Democrats by affirmation. Conrad is the first woman of color and youngest person to be elected Chair of the Washington State Democrats as well as the first South Asian and first Indian American woman to serve as a State Democratic Party Chair in the country”.
Conrad, a previous leader of the King County Democrats, succeeded Tina Podlodowski as party chair, a position she held since 2017. Podlodowski, the outgoing party chair, expressed confidence in Shasti. She said, “I’m thrilled to pass on the torch to my friend Shasti Conrad. Shasti has been a crucial part of our organizing efforts over the past six years helping to build a top-notch state party which has seen unprecedented electoral success in both state and federal elections”.
According to the statement, Conrad becomes the head of an organization whose voter contact program has been instrumental in the Democrats’ statewide political dominance since the 2016 election. Prior to this role, Conrad served as Chair of the Martin Luther King, Jr. County Democrats from 2018 to 2022, during which time she generated approximately $300,000 for a county party organization that was in debt when she assumed office.
Conrad, a political consultant who works with candidate campaigns and political action committees throughout the country, has received multiple accolades, including the prestigious Pollie Awards from the American Association of Political Consultants in 2022 for her efforts in raising virtual fundraisers during the peak of the pandemic. Further, Conrad was designated one of the 40 Under 40 by the American Association of Political Consultants and one of Seattle’s most prominent politicians by Seattle Met Magazine. She graduated with a Master of Public Affairs from Princeton University and a Bachelor of Arts with Highest Honors from Seattle University.
Conrad served in numerous roles in the Obama White House, notably as Assistant to Senior Advisor Valerie Jarrett, where she built a policy portfolio on youth violence, and in the Office of Public Engagement, where she served on disability rights and constituency outreach. The statement added that in the past six years, Washington Democrats have won control of every statewide elected office, flipped two Congressional seats, flipped the state Senate, and increased their legislative majorities in each of the last three election cycles, all while electing the most diverse group of state legislators in the state’s history.
