My Story: Rooted in Resilience

My parents came to this country undocumented from Pakistan with no formal education and no safety net — just the hope of a better life. Like many immigrant families, we built that life together. My weekends and summers were spent working in our family’s convenience store, stocking shelves, helping customers, and standing on a milk crate to run the register before I was tall enough to see over the counter.

I learned how hard it is to start a business from nothing, how many barriers working families face, and how opportunity can change the course of a life. I also learned that success means little unless it lifts others up. Those lessons shaped me, from the classroom to the courtroom to the business I run today.

Finding My Path

After graduating summa cum laude from Cornell University, I returned home to help operate and grow Lakhani Hospitality, our family’s hotels, restaurants, and banquet venues that serve as gathering spaces for our community, hosting everything from bar mitzvahs to quinceañeras to Indian weddings. I went on to earn my law degree from Harvard Law School.

Today, I balance practicing law with helping run the business. I know what it takes to meet payroll, balance a budget, and create good-paying jobs. I’ve built strong, collaborative relationships with organized labor, and I’m proud that my staff has endorsed me because they know I show up for them and stand with them.

I’ve also worked to serve my community beyond the office. I served on Skokie’s Economic Development Commission, helping spur growth and attract investment. I currently serve on the boards of the Indo-American Democratic Organization, working to engage South Asian voters and help elect Democratic candidates, and the South Asian American Chamber of Commerce of Illinois, helping small business owners across the state thrive.

My Promise to You

I’m running to protect the promise that brought my parents here — so anyone willing to work hard can build a better future. It's that future I hope to build for my son. In Springfield, I’ll fight for safer neighborhoods, lower costs, thriving small businesses, and responsible budgets that don’t put more burden on taxpayers.