| Karen Alzate | |
| Birth Place: | Pawtucket, Rhode Island, U.S. |
| Birth Date: | 26 December 1987 |
| Office: | Member of the Rhode Island House of Representatives from the 60th district |
| Termstart: | January 1, 2019 |
| Predecessor: | David Coughlin, Jr. |
| Party: | Democratic |
| Education: | Rhode Island College (BA) Roger Williams University (MA) |
Karen Alzate (born December 26, 1987) is an American politician and a Democratic member of the Rhode Island House of Representatives, representing District 60.
Alzate was born on December 26, 1987, in Pawtucket, Rhode Island.[1] As a first-generation American, she graduated from Tolman High School and earned a bachelor's degree from Rhode Island College. Following this, she earned her Master's degree in Community Development at the Roger Williams University School of Continuing Studies.[2] She also participated on the New Leader's Council for two years, a non-profit organization that promotes, trains and recruits progressive leaders.[3]
Alzate was officially sworn into the Rhode Island House of Representatives on January 1, 2019[4] and subsequently appointed to the House Health, Education and Welfare Committee, the House Labor Committee, and the House Special Legislation Committee.[5] During her first year in office, Alzate introduced a bill to create a commission to encourage more persons of color to enter education careers[6] [7] which held its first meeting on November 19.[8] She also co-sponsored the Reproductive Privacy Act and oversaw legislation that moves the date of primaries to the eighth Tuesday preceding biennial state elections.[1]
During the COVID-19 pandemic, Alzate was named to the coronavirus vaccine distribution task force led by Raymond Hull.[9] In this role, she advocated for a prioritizion to distribute the COVID-19 vaccine for communities of color.[10]