Five Indian-American Democrats win congressional seats as candidates of Indian origin make gains across state and local elections, reports Asian Lite News Desk
Five Indian-American Democrats have secured seats in the US House of Representatives following the November 3 midterm elections, marking a significant moment for Indian-origin political representation in the country.
Pia Dandiya, Suhas Subramanyam, Pramila Jayapal, Ro Khanna and Ami Bera were projected winners, according to Decision Desk HQ. A sixth victory remained possible, with physician and former Arizona state legislator Amish Shah holding a substantial lead in his congressional race.
Dandiya defeated Republican Casey Askar in Florida’s 22nd Congressional District, securing approximately 52 per cent of the vote. A former school principal, she is the daughter of Indian immigrants.
In Virginia, Subramanyam won a second term in the 10th Congressional District, defeating Republican Dave Beckwith with approximately 61.5 per cent of the vote.
“The campaign is over, but the work is just beginning. I look forward to working with our community to deliver change in Washington,” Subramanyam said.
Jayapal secured re-election in Washington state’s 7th Congressional District, while Khanna defeated fellow Indian-American Republican Ritesh Tandon in California’s 17th District.
Bera was also projected to win another term in California’s newly redrawn 3rd Congressional District, defeating Republican Robb Tucker.
Shah was leading Republican Jay Feely in Arizona’s 1st Congressional District, with approximately 54.6 per cent against 43.5 per cent, with 81 per cent of expected votes counted. The contest remained uncalled.
Indian-American candidates also recorded gains in state-level elections. Maryland Lieutenant Governor Aruna Miller secured another four-year term after Democratic Governor Wes Moore won re-election.
In Texas, Democrat Pooja Sethi led Republican Jennifer Mushtaler in House District 47, while Jyot Singh declared victory in Georgia’s House District 97.
In Illinois, Nabeela Syed led Republican incumbent Darby Hills in Senate District 26. Ram Villivalam retained his Illinois Senate seat, while Arvind Venkat won re-election to Pennsylvania’s House of Representatives.
Wisconsin Attorney General Josh Kaul, whose father is of Indian origin, also secured re-election.
However, the elections brought setbacks for several Indian-American candidates. In Ohio, Democrat Amy Acton defeated Republican Vivek Ramaswamy in the governor’s race, despite his backing from President Donald Trump and Vice President JD Vance.
Ramaswamy, whose family traces its roots to Kerala’s Palakkad district, conceded defeat on Tuesday night.
In New York, Republican Saritha Komatireddy lost the attorney general’s election to Democratic incumbent Letitia James. Mahesh Ganorkar in North Carolina and Sandeep Dixit in Ohio were among other Indian-American candidates who lost.
Meanwhile, Los Angeles City Council member Nithya Raman moved ahead of incumbent Mayor Karen Bass as additional ballots were counted. Raman held 50.55 per cent against Bass’s 49.45 per cent, although the race remained too close to call.
The elections, held halfway through Trump’s second presidential term, also saw Democrats projected to take control of both chambers of Congress.
Indian-American representation in US politics has grown considerably since Dalip Singh Saund became the first Indian-born member of Congress in 1957. Candidates of Indian descent now contest elections at congressional, state and local levels across both major political parties.
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