New York, Jan 18 : Indian-American community leader Tara Sreekrishnan has announced that she is running for California State Assembly from District 26 as a Democrat. Located in the heart of Silicon Valley in the Southern area of the San Francisco Bay Area, the district encompasses Santa Clara County including the cities of Sunnyvale, Cupertino, Santa Clara, and North and West San Jose. Serving on the Santa Clara County Board of Education since 2021, Tara (30) has been charged with overseeing a combined 270,000 students across the County's 31 school districts and balancing a budget of $300 million. In her campaign statement, Tara, also a former piano teacher at a Cupertino music academy, said she wants to tackle issues like climate change, education, affordable housing and safe communities. "It's crucial to acknowledge the challenges our residents face: housing affordability, climate change, traffic congestion, and an education system that needs strengthening. Addressing these challenges -- and spending tax dollars efficiently and effectively -- is why I'm running for State Assembly," her statement read. "I understand what it takes to make California financially responsible, improve our education system so that our children have future career opportunities, and to make sure our communities are safe, clean and affordable," she added. According to Tara, she is the right pick for District 26, having professional experience across all levels of local government -- school district, city, county, and state. "I've written and passed legislation that developed housing for the homeless, modernised our schools, curbed youth drug overdoses, and expanded job training and apprenticeship programs," she said in her campaign website. Crediting her immigrant parents, Tara said her inspiration for public service came from them as they taught her the value of education and to give back to her community. Tara graduated from Mills College, the oldest women's college on the West Coast, following which she set out to work as a community and political organiser for grassroots campaigns. Having served on several local non-profit boards, she co-founded Silicon Valley Youth Climate Action (SVYCA), which empowered hundreds of students across Santa Clara County to combat climate change through impactful education and policy initiatives. She has served as a top aide and advisor to State Senator Dave Cortese in the state legislature and the Santa Clara County Board of Supervisors, drafting and passing a range of legislation and successfully navigating bureaucracies on behalf of constituents. /IANS