25 Facts About Yassamin Ansari

Yassamin Ansari is an American politician and climate policy activist who has served as the US representative for Arizona's 3rd congressional district since 2025.

At the time of her election to the Phoenix City Council, Ansari was the youngest person to be elected to the council and the first Iranian American elected to public office in Arizona.

Yassamin Ansari was born in Seattle, Washington, to parents who immigrated to the United States from Iran.

Yassamin Ansari grew up in Scottsdale, Arizona and attended Chaparral High School.

Yassamin Ansari attended Stanford University, and received a bachelor's degree in international relations.

Yassamin Ansari worked as a senior policy advisor with Ban, spending a year working on the Paris Agreement, and later worked in the same role with Ban's successor, Antonio Guterres.

Yassamin Ansari started working towards a master's degree in international relations and politics from St John's College, Cambridge in 2016, which she ultimately received.

Yassamin Ansari ran in a November 2020 election to fill the seat vacated by Michael Nowakowski, representing Phoenix's 7th District.

Yassamin Ansari took office as a council member on April 19,2021.

Yassamin Ansari helped develop a plan to promote use of electric vehicles, and advocated for the city to purchase hydrogen fuel cell and battery electric public buses.

Yassamin Ansari attended the 2021 United Nations Climate Change Conference with Phoenix mayor Kate Gallego, as well as the 2022 United Nations Climate Change Conference.

Yassamin Ansari resigned her City Council seat on March 28,2024, to focus on her congressional campaign.

Yassamin Ansari had been considered a potential 2024 contender for Arizona's 3rd congressional district.

Yassamin Ansari announced her candidacy for the seat on April 4,2023, and led early fundraising in the race.

Yassamin Ansari raised over $325,000 in the first quarter of 2024, bringing her total raised to more than $1.35 million.

In November 2024, Yassamin Ansari was elected the Democratic freshman class president.

Yassamin Ansari chose to boycott Donald Trump's inauguration, choosing instead to attend a Martin Luther King Jr.

Yassamin Ansari has supported expanding temporary and affordable housing options to help address homelessness in Phoenix.

Yassamin Ansari had been endorsed by the political arm of the pro-Israel advocacy group Democratic Majority for Israel.

In 2025, Yassamin Ansari was among a minority of House Democrats to back legislation rebuking the International Criminal Court over arrest warrants issued against Israeli leaders.

Yassamin Ansari argued that the ICC's actions were inappropriate, stating that "As a liberal democracy with an independent judiciary, Israel has the responsibility of investigating allegations of wrongdoing".

Yassamin Ansari's family was of Muslim origin but stopped practicing after fleeing Iran after the Iranian Revolution in 1979.

Yassamin Ansari estimated in the disclosure that her assets were worth between $2.5 million and $8.3 million.

In 2019, Yassamin Ansari was selected for the Grist 50, an annual list of people taking environmental action.

In 2020, Yassamin Ansari was selected for the Forbes 30 Under 30: Policy and Law list.