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 North Hempstead is one of three towns in Nassau County, on Long Island, in New York, United States. The population was 237,639 at the 2020 census. History The area was first settled by Europeans around 1643 and became part of the town of Hemps ...

and Oyster Bay in Nassau County on Long Island. A

Republican Republican can refer to: Political ideology * An advocate of a republic, a type of government that is not a monarchy or dictatorship, and is usually associated with the rule of law. ** Republicanism, the ideology in support of republics or agains ...

, Ra was first elected in 2010. Ra was born in

Mineola, New York Mineola is a village in and the county seat of Nassau County, on Long Island, in New York, United States. The population was 18,799 at the 2010 census. The name is derived from an Algonquin Chief, Miniolagamika, which means "pleasant village". ...

and raised in

Franklin Square, New York Franklin Square is a hamlet and census-designated place (CDP) in Nassau County, New York, United States. The hamlet is an unincorporated area in the Town of Hempstead. The population was 29,320 at the 2010 census. The area was originally known ...

, where he still resides with his wife Laura. He earned a

B.A. Bachelor of arts (BA or AB; from the Latin ', ', or ') is a bachelor's degree awarded for an undergraduate program in the arts, or, in some cases, other disciplines. A Bachelor of Arts degree course is generally completed in three or four yea ...

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. Prior to entering elected office, Ra served as the deputy town attorney for the

Town of Hempstead The Town of Hempstead (also known historically as South Hempstead) is the largest of the three towns in Nassau County (alongside North Hempstead and Oyster Bay) in the U.S. state of New York. It occupies the southwestern part of the county, on t ...

, 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 The attorney general of New York is the chief legal officer of the U.S. state of New York and head of the Department of Law of the state government. The office has been in existence in some form since 1626, under the Dutch colonial government o ...

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

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New York Assemblyman Edward P. Ra (R-Franklin Square)
{{DEFAULTSORT:Ra, Edward P. 1981 births Living people Republican Party members of the New York State Assembly Loyola University Maryland alumni St. John's University School of Law alumni People from Mineola, New York People from Franklin Square, New York Benjamin N. Cardozo School of Law alumni New York (state) lawyers 21st-century American politicians