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Leonidas (Lu) P. Raptakis (; genus). November 18, 1959, Cranston, Rhode Island, USA is an American Democratic politician of Greek descent, member of the Rhode Island House of Representatives from the 31st constituency (1993–1997), member of the Rhode Island State Senate from the 20th (1997–2003) and 33rd (2003–2011, since 2013) constituencies. In 2010, he ran for secretary of state of Rhode Island. He is a member of the American-Greek Progressive Enlightenment Union and the World Greek Inter-Parliamentary Association (WHIPA).

Biography
Born November 18, 1959 in Cranston (Rhode Island, USA) in a Greek family. He has a brother.

Leonidas’ parents are from the island of Andros (Cyclades, Greece). His father, working on a Greek ocean liner, came to the United States in 1940. After the ship arrived in New York, he applied for political asylum. When the United States entered World War II, he was drafted into the army, serving from 1942 to 1945. In 1958 he went back to Greece, where he married his future mother Leonidas and his brother before returning to Rhode Island.

Graduated from a public high school in Coventry. He received an associate's degree (A.A.) from Rhode Island Community College (1981) and a bachelor's degree in humanities (B.A.) from Rhode Island College (1985).

Prior to his political career in 1992, he was engaged in the restaurant business.

Rhode Island State Senate

Participation in committees
Legal Committee (member);
Committee on Special Legislation and Veterans Affairs (Secretary).

Greek questions
Raptakis has taken a firm stance on issues of interest to Greece, including:
promoting a resolution on a divided Cyprus (see also Turkish invasion of Cyprus)
Recognition of the Greek roots of Macedonia (see also Macedonian question, Macedonian naming dispute, Great Macedonia);
The desire to include Greece in the Visa Waiver program (the program of the US government, according to which citizens of individual countries are allowed to travel to the United States for tourism, business, and transit for up to 90 days without the need for a visa);
Submit a resolution on the genocide of the Pontian Greeks.
work to arrange the donation of the cargo ship Hellas Liberty to Greece for use as a maritime museum;
Increased awareness among members of Congress on issues of interest to Greece.

In May 2010, as a senator in the state legislature of Rhode Island, Raptakis was able to achieve recognition of the genocide of the Pontic Greeks in that state by passing a resolution by the local legislature. In May 2017, at the initiative of Raptakis (as well as with the participation of several of his colleagues), the House of Representatives and the Senate of the State of Rhode Island strongly condemned the genocide of the Pontic Greeks and declared May 19 as the Day of Remembrance of the Victims of the Pontic Greek Genocide. At the same time, speaking at the plenary session of the Senate, Raptakis condemned the violent behavior of members of the presidential guard