Washington: The Democratic Party performed resoundingly well in Indian-American-dominated congressional districts in the US midterm elections held on Tuesday. Democrats won 84 of the 100 congressional districts with the highest Indian-American population, while the Republican Party only won 15 seats.
Democrats not only retained several traditionally held seats but also wrested six from Republicans. Indian-American leader Amish Shah is also leading in Arizona’s 1st Congressional District, a Republican-held seat. However, the election results for this seat have not yet been declared. If he wins, the Democratic party’s tally could increase further.
Democrats’ Strongest Performance in California
The Hindustan Times ranked all 435 House of Representatives districts by their Indian-American population, based on data from the U.S. Census Bureau’s 2020-24 American Community Survey. The top 100 districts contain more than half of America’s Indian-American population.
These districts range from California’s Silicon Valley to the suburbs of Dallas, Houston, Atlanta, Chicago, and Seattle in New Jersey and Texas. California’s 17th Congressional District alone is home to approximately 14.6 million Indian-Americans.
According to the Carnegie Endowment’s 2024 Indian American Attitudes Survey, approximately 2.6 million Indian-Americans are eligible to vote in the United States.
Democrats’ dominance was particularly pronounced in California. The party won 19 of the top 100 districts with the highest Indian-American population, including California’s 17th District, where Congressman Ro Khanna won his sixth consecutive term.
Additionally, Democrats won all of the top 100 areas in New York, Illinois, New Jersey, and Pennsylvania.
Republicans Defend Their Position in Texas
Despite a weak performance nationwide, the Republican Party managed to retain its position in Texas. Republican candidates won nine of the 13 congressional districts with a strong Indian-American population.
This includes Congresswoman Beth Van Duyn, whose constituency is home to approximately 23,000 Indian-Americans. She has faced criticism for her close association with some conservative media figures who have spoken out about alleged H-1B visa fraud involving the Indian community.
Meanwhile, Republican candidate Trevor Nehls won in Texas’s 22nd District, a district with approximately 45,000 Indian-American residents.
One of the few seats the Republican Party won in Texas was the 32nd District, where the party’s candidate, Jess Yarbrough, defeated Democratic candidate Julie Johnson. This district is home to approximately 16,000 Indian-Americans.
Indian-American Voters Shift Toward Democrats
The election results also align with the political sentiment of the Indian-American community. A survey conducted by the Carnegie Endowment and YouGov in October revealed that 62 percent of Indian-Americans planned to vote for Democratic candidates, while 19 percent supported Republican candidates. In the Senate elections, these figures were 63 percent and 21 percent, respectively.
According to another Carnegie survey, only 29 percent of Indian-American adults were satisfied with the performance of US President Donald Trump, while 71 percent expressed dissatisfaction.
The survey identified inflation and rising prices as the top concerns, followed by employment, the economy, healthcare, and immigration. Nearly half of Indian-Americans said they frequently encounter racist comments targeting Indians online.
The Democratic wave also affected two Republican members of the House India Caucus in this election: Brian Fitzpatrick of Pennsylvania and Tom Kean Jr. of New Jersey.
Overall, the Democrats’ big victories in areas with large Indian-American populations have once again highlighted the growing electoral importance of this community in American politics.