Jay Chaudhuri is an American attorney, professor, politician and a Democratic member of the North Carolina Senate. He was first appointed to fill a vacancy in April 2016 caused by the resignation of Josh Stein. Chaudhuri was later elected and re-elected, becoming North Carolina’s first Indian-American state legislator.1
Born as Jyoti Chaudhuri on June 8, 1969, in Chattanooga, Tennessee, he is the son of immigrants. His father left India to come to America more than fifty years ago. When he was 3, Chaudhuri moved to Fayetteville, North Carolina. He studied at Terry Sanford High School in Fayetteville, later attending Davidson College, Columbia University, and finally North Carolina Central University School of Law.
Chaudhuri has spent his career fighting for and working on behalf of the people of North Carolina. For two decades, he has worked at the highest levels of all three branches in state government. He was a longtime aide to then-State Senator and state Attorney General Roy Cooper, and later to state treasurer Janet Cowell. Chaudhuri taught part-time as an adjunct law professor at North Carolina Central University for two years. In 2016, Chaudhuri joined plaintiff law firm Cohen Milstein as a part-time counsel.
In January 2019, he was elected by his colleagues to serve as Senate Minority (Democratic) Whip, the second-highest ranking position in the Democratic caucus. He currently represents the 15th District.
