BLOOMINGTON — The Monroe County Democratic Party Central Committee elected Shruti Rana as the MCDP Vice Chair by acclamation during a virtual Vacancy Caucus on Feb. 20.
Rana is a progressive activist and lawyer, specializing in international law and human rights, and is an IU professor and senior assistant dean.
“Since moving to Indiana, I have been deeply involved in the community and political advocacy,” Rana wrote in her candidate statement. “My primary goal has been to ensure that my daughter and the children of Monroe County will be able to grow up with all of the opportunities and rights that we have had, and to dedicate myself to building a better future for them.”
Rana is the Democratic representative to the Monroe County Election Board, a board member for All-Options, a founding member, and co-chair of the Indiana Chapter of NAPAWF (National Asian Pacific American Women’s Forum), and Vice President of Monroe County NOW.
Before moving to Bloomington, Rana worked at law firms and the United Nations in the Division for the Advancement of Women. She has also previously served as Social Media Chair for the Indiana Chapter of South Asians for Biden and as an Indiana Delegate to the Democratic National Convention, as well as a member of the City of Bloomington Board of Public Safety and Commission on the Status of Women. In 2021, she was selected for Hoosier Women Forward, the Indiana Democratic Party women’s leadership training program.
As MCDP Vice-Chair Rana plans to cultivate a diverse coalition to strengthen the party, professionalize party operations and provide more resources to organizers and candidates, and recruit strong progressive leaders.
“In particular, I am passionate about diversity and inclusion, which means not only creating the opportunities that will bring new voices into the Party but also supporting and training people with a range of experiences and perspectives for leadership roles in our community; gender and racial justice, which are crucial to building an inclusive democracy where rights are protected and not rolled back; and civic engagement, which is the foundation of a vibrant community where positive change is possible,” Rana wrote in her candidate statement.
