Shekar Krishnan

Shekar Krishnan is an American attorney and politician who is a member of the New York City Council for the 25th district, which covers the northwestern Queens neighborhoods of Jackson Heights, Elmhurst, parts of East Elmhurst, and a small piece of Woodside.

Early life

Krishnan was born to immigrant parents from Kerala, India.
He received a Bachelor of Sciences in engineering from The Cooper Union and a Juris Doctor from the University of Michigan Law School.

Krishnan worked as an associate for law firms Weil, Gotshal & Manges and Patterson Belknap Webb & Tyler. He was also an attorney at Brooklyn Legal Services Corporation A, directing the organization’s fair housing and tenant advocacy divisions. He is the co-founder of Communities Resist, a legal services organization that represents tenants and neighborhood coalitions in fair housing litigation and anti-displacement advocacy in gentrified neighborhoods.

Krishnan announced his candidacy in the 2021 Democratic primary for the 25th District of the New York City Council on November 17, 2020. Incumbent Councilmember Daniel Dromm was term-limited and could not run for reelection. He was endorsed by Dromm, U.S. Representative Nydia Velazquez, and State Senators Julia Salazar and John Liu. He centered his campaign on immigrant rights, the taxi medallion crisis, affordable housing, and climate justice.
Krishnan won the ranked-choice primary with 53.4% of all votes cast. He won the general election with 60% of the vote. Along with Shahana Hanif, Krishnan is one of the first South Asians to serve in the New York City Council. Days after being elected, Krishnan was arrested along with Hanif and Assemblymember Zohran Mamdani for protesting alongside taxi drivers.

Krishnan introduced a bill to decriminalize street vending without a license. The City Council overrode a mayoral veto to approve the bill in September 2025.
Krishnan endorsed Zohran Mamdani in the 2025 mayoral general election.