Ed Ra was first elected to the New York State Assembly on November 2, 2010. His district includes parts of the towns of Hempstead and North Hempstead in Nassau County.

In February of 2026, he was elected unanimously by his colleagues as the Leader of the Assembly Minority Conference.

He previously served as Ranking Minority Member of the Assembly Ways and Means Committee for six years, vetting all bills with fiscal implications, and leading the Conference’s analysis and debates of bills that comprise the New York State budget.

During his career in the Assembly, Leader Ra has served as the Assistant Minority Leader Pro Tempore, a role in which he coordinated and led floor debate for the Conference. He also served as Ranking Member of the Assembly Education Committee, where he fought against the state’s overreliance on standardized testing and became a leading advocate for students with special needs.

As Minority Leader, Ra’s legislative priorities include building a more affordable New York, expanding access to childcare, and increasing government transparency. He has consistently pushed to rein in excessive spending and ensure state tax dollars are budgeted responsibly. He also remains committed to rooting out public corruption and promoting public safety, and he has led efforts to roll back dangerous changes to the state’s bail and discovery laws.

Leader Ra graduated from Loyola College in Maryland, received his J.D. from St. John’s University School of Law, and his LL.M. in Intellectual Property Law from Benjamin N. Cardozo School of Law. He is a resident of Garden City South, where he lives with his wife, Laura, and their shelter dog, Carter.