Ed Ra

Edward P. Ra (born November 4, 1981) is a member of the New York State Assembly, representing the 19th district, which includes portions of the towns of Hempstead, North Hempstead and Oyster Bay in Nassau County on Long Island. A Republican, Ra was first elected in 2010.

Ed Ra
Ra in 2024
Member of the New York State Assembly from the 19th district
Incumbent
Assumed office January 1, 2011
Preceded by	Thomas Alfano
Personal details
Born	(1981-11-04) November 4, 1981 (age 43) Mineola, New York, U.S.
Political party	Republican
Residence(s)	Garden City South, New York, U.S.
Alma mater	Loyola College St. John's University School of Law
Signature

Early life and education

Ra was born in Mineola, New York and raised in Franklin Square, New York.^[1] He earned a B.A. in computer science from Loyola College in 2004. He received his Juris Doctor from St. John's University School of Law in 2007 and LL.M. in Intellectual Property Law from Benjamin N. Cardozo School of Law in 2008.^[1][2]

Career

Prior to entering elected office, Ra served as the deputy town attorney for the Town of Hempstead, where the Town Attorney is his father, Joseph Ra. He was also a legal aide in the Office of the New York State Attorney General.^[1][2]

In 2010, Assemblyman Thomas Alfano decided not to seek reelection, and Ra entered the race to succeed him. Ra defeated Democrat Patrick Nicolosi.^[3] Since his initial election, he has never faced serious opposition.^[4] In 2018, Ra defeated Democrat Bill Carr 55% to 45%, his closest race since the 2010 election.^[5]

Ra co-chairs the New York chapter of Future Caucus with Assemblyman Alex Bores.^[6]

Personal life

Ra lives in Garden City South, New York.^[7][8][9] He resides there with his wife, Laura.^[1][7][9]