Suhas Kulkarni | |
|---|---|
| Member-elect of the Kentucky House of Representatives from the 48th district | |
| Assumed office January 1, 2027 | |
| Preceded by | Ken Fleming |
| Director of the Office of Globalization at the Louisville-Jefferson County Metro Government | |
| In office July 2011 – June 2015 | |
| Preceded by | None |
| Succeeded by | Bryan Warren |
| Personal details | |
| Born | June 3, 1950 |
| Children | 2, including Nima |
| Education | XLRI – Xavier School of Management (MBA) |
Suhas Kulkarni (born June 3, 1950) is an American politician and businessman who is currently the Member-elect of the Kentucky House of Representatives from the 48th district after flipping the district in the 2026 Kentucky House of Representatives election. He was previously the first Director of the Office of Globalization at the Louisville-Jefferson County Metro Government, and founded his own businesses. He immigrated to the United States from India. He is the father of fellow State Representative Nima Kulkarni.
Kulkarni was born on June 3, 1950, in Jamshedpur. He attended the XLRI – Xavier School of Management, where he earned a master's degree in business in 1973, before working for Tata Steel. He remained there until 1986, rising up the ranks to become a division manager.
He and his family decided to immigrate to the United States at that time, seeking supportive education for his older son, who had learning disabilities. His first job in the United States was sweeping the floors of a grocery store, but he went on to run an export business: he later bought the store himself and used it to expand his business. He opened IT firm Omnisys in 1990, which later became a government contractor.
At age 60, he decided to go into government service and step down from direct management of his company: He became the founding director of the Office for Globalization, focused on human needs and economic growth to attract immigrants and international companies. In 2015, he was succeeded by Bryan Warren.
He began considering running for the state legislature in 2026 after a bill was proposed that would bar naturalized citizens from holding elected office in Kentucky, and ultimately decided to run the night before the filing deadline to unseat Republican incumbent Ken Fleming in Kentucky's 48th House of Representatives district. The seat's election was named the only pivotal state legislature seat election in Kentucky in 2026 by Bolts Magazine. Attack ads alleging he was socialist were aired, which he stated were ridiculous, noting he'd "started his own businesses from scratch". He ultimately won the seat, becoming the State Representative-elect for the district.
He is married and has two children, including Nima Kulkarni, who won a seat in the State House in 2018. The two are set to serve simultaneously upon Kulkarni taking office in 2027.