Nikil Saval is a Democratic State Senator representing Pennsylvania's 1st Senatorial District in Philadelphia. A father, husband, writer, and organizer, he lives in South Philadelphia with his wife Shannon Garrison, a historic preservationist, and their son Ishaan. Elected in 2020 as a democratic socialist and member of the Democratic Socialists of America , Saval previously co-founded Reclaim Philadelphia—a progressive group focused on racial, gender, and economic justice—and served as the first Asian American Ward Leader of Philadelphia’s Democratic Second Ward in 2018.

Education and Political Experience

Saval's organizing roots trace to 2009–2013 as a volunteer labor organizer with UNITE HERE, where he led boycotts for hotel workers' rights and fought layoffs of noontime aides. He emerged as a leader in Bernie Sanders’s 2016 presidential campaign, which inspired Reclaim Philadelphia. As a writer, he has contributed to The New York Times and The New Yorker on architecture, design, and housing; co-edited the literary journal n+1 ; and authored Cubed: A Secret History of the Workplace.

In the Pennsylvania Senate, he serves as Democratic Chair of the Urban Affairs & Housing Committee and Chair of the Senate’s Philadelphia Delegation. Notable achievements include leading the Whole-Home Repairs Program for statewide home repairs, weatherization, and job creation; advocating for school funding, worker justice, climate action , and civil rights ; and sponsoring/co-sponsoring 44 bills/resolutions on housing, incarceration, wages, and climate. He has corresponded with over 34,000 constituents and supported workers on picket lines.