Karthik Soora

Our city deserves real democracy, and we are going to always keep fighting for it because that’s what Houstonians deserve. Glad to have been able to contribute this oped to the . Please call and tell your city council member that HPD/ICE collaboration to deport nonviolent folks is wrong and to stand up for their own power to make law.

Our Rainbow child is here. Karuna Soora, you are our forever Valentine. ❤️

Sending so much thanks to God and love to all of y’all who have been there for us through all of this, to those hoping for their own 🌈rainbow babies, to everyone trying to find joy and love despite fascism, and to every fighter for paternity/maternity leave and a society where every person can have the financial means to take care of their family.

And please excuse me for the next 13 weeks; will be spending time getting to know this one!

New years bring new anxieties, problems, and joys. Alongside this, we strive to always be grateful. In 2026, we dare to hope for another addition, a healthy rainbow baby to join the 4 of us in late February. We are looking cautiously forward while always carrying Hriday with us. We feel his guardian angel presence blessing his sibling every time we visit his resting place pond.

We would also like to share Shivani’s poem “Hope”:

Find courage to open your heart.
Hope is a randomized control trial–
You may find the universe places
a sugar pill
in your outstretched palm,

Or that it places
the miracle you dreamed of.
But only if you participate.
Something is better than nothing,
and eating the placebo is better
than drinking despondency.

Cynicism can poison but it cannot divine.
Dreaming you drowned won’t mean you wake submerged.

So peel yourself off the sole of life’s shoe.
Blow on that small, warming ember.
Unravel those stitches, Penelope.

The rising cost of living, Mayor Whitmire’s cowardice, Abbott’s cruelty, Trump’s extremism, ICE’s overreach; District C and Houston face challenges too numerous to recount.

Councilmember Abbie Kamin fought hard for our district, and her service should not be forgotten. But the moment we’re in demands an even bolder vision.

In the days ahead, I’ll be laser-focused on ensuring District C has a true champion for progress; someone ready to push Houston to new heights.

This “big beautiful bill” is in fact an ugly ass monstrosity that takes money from working Texans’ Medicaid/Food stamps and gives it to billionaires, and after weeks of planning with Powered by the People, , and more, we were able to have a townhall with over 700 people who poured out their hearts, stories, and are now ready for action. Being able to introduce Beto was nerve wracking but also an honor, and I am always grateful how much energy he pours out to fight for working Texans no matter the cause. We are just getting started in the fight to kill this bill, so please message me if you want to get involved!

Mother’s Day means a lot to me—and it brings a lot of feelings.

I’m lucky to have two amazing moms in my life—my mom and my mother-in-law—who have given our family so much love and care. And I’m so proud of my wife, . She is a mother, even if the world didn’t get to see that part of her for long. Her strength, love, and courage through the hardest moments have shown me what being a mom truly means. This photo is from last year when all three of them rejoiced together over the idea of impending motherhood, and one of the others is our last happy photo together of Shivani, Hriday, and I before his loss.

Last year, we lost our baby Hriday at 22 weeks. We had to make a heartbreaking decision no parent should ever have to face. That loss changed us. It made Mother’s Day feel heavier, but also more meaningful.

So today, I’m thinking of all the moms. Moms who are celebrated. Moms who are grieving. Moms who are just holding on. People who have been defacto moms, even if that isn’t their title. And people missing their moms. However today feels for you, I hope you know you’re not alone.

Sending love to everyone, especially those feeling both love and loss today.

Just turned 36—and if the last 5 years have taught me anything, it’s to celebrate every bit of joy you can. Life will never spare us pain, so joy is worth holding close. Grateful to spend the day with my incredible wife, family, dog, and—as always—my biggest vice, some bougie food, at . Being at a point where I could treat my parents made it all the more meaningful.

I’m doing just fine—but so many are not. If you’re able, please consider donating to a cause close to my heart:
• – People in Gaza, Sudan, and beyond are dying without access to basic healthcare. This organization risks everything to provide lifesaving care where it’s needed most.
• – A powerful reminder of how devastating human rights violations are. Their work makes clear the human cost of violence in South Asia—and the importance of peace and justice.
• – Trump-era cuts and out-of-control food prices have made it harder than ever for working families to get by. This place is a lifeline for thousands right here at home.

Thanks for being part of my life—and for all the ways you show up for others. I’m lucky to know you.

I was grateful to speak today on behalf of Houston Progressives to over 5000 Houstonians to say Hands off to the billionaires like Musk coming after our Medicaid, Medicare, Social Security, and economy. These tariffs are a regressive tax on the working class, and we say NO. We are here to fight for lower healthcare, food prices, childcare, and good wages for workers.

Japan photodump