Lisa Kaul

Lisa Kaul grew up in India, earned her PhD at Oxford University as a Rhodes Scholar, and later immigrated to the United States, where she became a citizen. In 2023, she flipped a red seat blue to join the Dutchess County Legislature and serves on the board of Planned Parenthood Greater New York Action Fund. Her campaign is focused on lowering the cost of living, and she sees climate change as a key driver of the affordability crisis, arguing that to address one, we must address the other.

District 39’s GOP incumbent won reelection last cycle by just over 1 percent of the vote. With the support of the DLCC Target Races program, Lisa is ready to flip this seat blue and help New York Democrats achieve a supermajority in the state Senate.

In 2026, Democrats have a historic opportunity to secure a supermajority in the New York Senate, needing just one more seat this November to do so.

New York Democrats have used their strong majorities to enact life-saving gun safety laws, deliver tax relief for working families, and go on offense against Republican gerrymandering.

Restoring a Senate supermajority alongside the existing Assembly supermajority would bolster Democratic power in Albany and provide an additional layer of protection for New Yorkers against GOP extremism.

With only one seat standing between Democrats and a Senate supermajority, the stakes this November are exceptionally high. The outcome will help determine not only whether New York can defend the progress it has made, but also whether the state can continue leading the way in delivering for working people.