Delegate Dr. Harry Bhandari
Educator, Public Servant, and Maryland State Delegate for District 8.
Early Life & Education
Born in Nepal, Harry Bhandari immigrated to the United States, committed to education, opportunity, and service, and went on to make history as the first Nepali American elected to a state legislature in the nation. While studying, he worked at a gas station. He studied at Johns Hopkins University and earned a Ph.D. from the University of Maryland, Baltimore County.
Through hard work and determination, Harry built a life of service as a father, public school teacher, and trusted community leader, embodying the American Dream.
In 2018, Harry was elected to the House of Delegates and has since been re-elected twice from District 8 as a leading vote-getter. He served seven years on the Health and Government Operations Committee, passing landmark healthcare and senior services legislation, including several first-in-the-nation laws.
He currently chairs the Land Use and Zoning Subcommittee of the Economic Matters Committee and previously led the Asian American Pacific Islander (AAPI) Caucus. He has delivered results, signing 28+ bills into law and securing millions of dollars in investments for District 8 schools, the economy, infrastructure, and families.
Harry and his wife raised their two children in Nottingham, where the children attended local public schools.
Legislative Leadership & Committee Service
First elected to the Maryland House of Delegates in 2018. Member of the House since January 9, 2019, serving District 8, Baltimore County.
- Chair Land Use and Zoning Subcommittee
- 2026 Economic Matters Committee
- Housing and Real Property Subcommittee of the Economic Matters Committee
Past Committee Assignments
- 2019–2025 Health and Government Operations Committee
- 2019–2025 Insurance and Pharmaceuticals Subcommittee of the Health and Government Operations Committee
- 2019–2025 Health Occupations and Long-Term Care Subcommittee of the Health and Government Operations Committee
- 2023–2026 Chair, Maryland Legislative Asian-American and Pacific-Islander Caucus
- 2025-2026 Chair – Outreach Committee (Maryland Legislative Asian-American and Pacific-Islander Caucus)
- 2022–2025 1st Vice Chair – Maryland Legislative Asian-American and Pacific-Islander Caucus