On the morning after the November 3 American midterms, as ballots were still being counted, a familiar question returned to the surface of public life: whether a nation that has grown used to one set of leaders will choose another. Democrats appeared poised to win back the House and held a lead in the Senate, a shift that would give them the means to test the policies of a president now in his second term. Within that larger story ran a quieter one, carried by 57 candidates of Indian heritage seeking office across the country, some of whom were already celebrating and others already setting do
Ramaswamy Loses Ohio Governor Bid as Indian-American Candidates Win Across US Midterm Races
"I think we have a blue tsunami."
Mark
Ramaswamy lost, but Democrats seem to have done well. Is this mostly a party story?
Mimi
Largely, yes. Most of the Indian-American candidates ran as Democrats, and the winners named so far are all Democrats. At least nine ran as Republicans, and Ramaswamy and Ganorkar lost.
Luke
Careful with "Democrats seem to have done well." The House is projected, the Senate is only "ahead," and counting was still going on.
Mark
Fair. What about Dandiya's win?
Mimi
It was close, 51.85%, in a newly redrawn South Florida district, and it makes her the first Indian-American elected to the House from Florida. She stressed affordability and working across party lines.
Luke
Those percentages are AP calls from partial counts, so they could shift. Also, the 57 figure comes from one tally, the Indo-American News Service, and it excludes 15 people whose heritage couldn't be verified.
Mark
So the real number of candidates might be higher?
Luke
Possibly, but the source doesn't say. It only says those 15 were unconfirmed.
Mark
Subramanyam talked about green cards and H-1B visas. Does that matter?
Mimi
It shows an immigrant-community agenda alongside the cost-of-living message. Whether it moved votes, the reporting doesn't tell us.
Luke
Right. Several races, including Jyot Singh's, Nithya Raman's and Khanna's and Bera's, are unresolved, so any overall verdict is premature.
El Pulso
- Democrats were projected to take the House from Republicans while the Senate contest still hung in the balance, with thousands of votes yet to be tallied.
- Vivek Ramaswamy, backed by President Trump, lost the Ohio governor's race to Democrat Amy Acton, a sharp setback in a contest watched as a verdict on the administration.
- Four Indian-American Democrats, including Pia Dandiya in Florida, Suhas Subramanyam in Virginia and Aruna Miller in Maryland, were projected winners in early results.
- Dozens of races remain uncalled, including Jyot Singh in Georgia and Nithya Raman's Los Angeles mayoral bid, leaving outcomes unsettled as counting continues.
On the morning after the November 3 American midterms, as ballots were still being counted, a familiar question returned to the surface of public life: whether a nation that has grown used to one set of leaders will choose another. Democrats appeared poised to win back the House and held a lead in the Senate, a shift that would give them the means to test the policies of a president now in his second term. Within that larger story ran a quieter one, carried by 57 candidates of Indian heritage seeking office across the country, some of whom were already celebrating and others already setting down their campaigns.
By mid-morning Wednesday in India, the count from the November 3 US midterms was still arriving, and Democrats were projected to take the House from the Republicans while leading in the Senate race. For Indian observers, the night carried a second story: 57 candidates of Indian heritage were running for Congress, governorships, state legislatures and local offices.
The most striking early loss was Vivek Ramaswamy's. The former Republican presidential candidate had run for Ohio governor with Donald Trump's endorsement, and he lost to Democrat Amy Acton, the state's former health director. The election is the first major test of Trump's second presidency, and voters were deciding whether Republicans would keep Congress or whether Democrats would gain the power to challenge his policies for the rest of his term.
Among the winners, Pramila Jayapal was re-elected from Washington, and at least three others had early wins. Pia Dandiya, a former high school principal and White House fellow, took Florida's redrawn 22nd District. Her campaign centred on cost of living and economic opportunity, and in her victory speech she spoke of neighbours who look out for one another and pledged to work with anyone, of any party. She is the first Indian-American elected to the House from Florida.
Suhas Subramanyam won re-election in Virginia's 10th District with 60.68% of the vote. The son of immigrant parents, he had served in Obama's White House, in the Virginia legislature, and in 2024 became the first Indian-American to represent Virginia in Congress. This year he pressed the administration on living costs, healthcare and federal workers, and on green card backlogs and H-1B visa difficulties.
Aruna Miller won another term as Maryland's lieutenant governor alongside Governor Wes Moore. Born in Andhra Pradesh and brought to the US at seven, she spent 25 years in county transportation work before entering politics. At her victory party she declared, "I think we have a blue tsunami."
Not every candidate prevailed. Republican Mahesh Ganorkar lost in North Carolina, and independent Shiva Ayyadurai lost to Senator Ed Markey in Massachusetts. Several races remain open, including Jyot Singh's lead in Georgia, which has yet to be called, and close contests for Nithya Raman in Los Angeles and for Ro Khanna and Ami Bera in California. The final tally will decide how much of the night's promise holds.
By mid-morning on Wednesday in India, with the count from the November 3 US midterm elections still coming in, Democrats were projected to take the House of Representatives from the Republicans. They were also ahead in the contest for the Senate. For Indian observers, the count had a second layer: 57 races in which candidates of Indian heritage were seeking office, from Congress and governorships to state legislatures and local government.
The most prominent early loss belonged to Vivek Ramaswamy, the Republican former presidential candidate who ran for governor of Ohio with President Donald Trump's endorsement. He lost to Democrat Amy Acton, the state's former health director. The election is the first major electoral test of Trump's second presidency, with voters deciding whether Republicans keep control of Congress or Democrats gain the power to challenge his administration's policies for the rest of his term.
On the winning side, Democrat Pramila Jayapal was re-elected to the House from a Washington district, with the Associated Press calling her race at 87.47% of the vote. At least three other Indian-American Democrats had projected wins in early results: Pia Dandiya in Florida, Suhas Subramanyam in Virginia and Aruna Miller in Maryland.
Dandiya won Florida's 22nd Congressional District over Republican Casey Askar, with the AP calling it at 51.85%. A former high school principal and White House fellow, she ran in a newly redrawn South Florida district covering parts of Palm Beach and Broward counties. Her campaign centred on the cost of living and economic opportunity. In her victory speech she spoke of wanting neighbours back, of being able to trust that someone stuck with a flat tire would be helped before anyone checked their bumper stickers. She pledged to work with anyone of any party. She is the first Indian-American elected to the House from Florida.
Subramanyam won re-election in Virginia's 10th District, beating Republican Dave Beckwith with 60.68%. Born in Virginia in 1979 to immigrant parents, he is a lawyer who studied at Tulane and Northwestern's Pritzker School of Law. His mother is from Bengaluru, and his father grew up in Chennai and Secunderabad. He worked as a technology policy adviser in Barack Obama's White House, joined Virginia's House of Delegates in 2019, later served in the state Senate, and in 2024 became the first Indian-American to represent Virginia in Congress. This year he criticised the Trump administration on living costs, healthcare and its treatment of federal employees, and raised green card backlogs and H-1B visa difficulties. He now has two more years in Congress.
Miller won another term as Maryland's lieutenant governor, on the ticket with Governor Wes Moore, whose re-election NBC News projected. At her victory party she said, "I think we have a blue tsunami." Born in Andhra Pradesh, she came to the US at seven, studied civil engineering at Missouri University of Science and Technology, and spent 25 years at Montgomery County's Department of Transportation. She served eight years in the state House of Delegates before becoming lieutenant governor in 2023, the first Indian-American woman in the post and the first South Asian woman elected lieutenant governor nationally.
Other Indian-American Republicans and independents also lost. Mahesh "Max" Ganorkar fell to Democratic incumbent Valerie Foushee in North Carolina. Independent Shiva Ayyadurai, challenging Senator Ed Markey in Massachusetts, lost as Markey was projected to hold his seat.
The field was broad. According to a tally by the Indo-American News Service, the 57 verified candidates included one Senate candidate, 11 for the House, three for statewide office, 36 for state legislatures and six for local posts. Another 15 believed to be of Indian origin were left out because their heritage could not be verified. Many ran as Democrats, but at least nine were Republicans.
Several races remained open. Jyot Singh held a substantial lead in Georgia's House District 97 over Republican Yassin Moghazy but had not been called. Nithya Raman's Los Angeles mayoral race, and the House re-election bids of Ro Khanna and Ami Bera in California, were described as close. Also watched were Pooja Sethi in Texas House District 47, Amish Shah in Arizona, and Republican Saritha Komatireddy's challenge to New York Attorney General Letitia James.
Citas Notables
Tonight's victory belongs to every person who made their voices heard and demanded change in Washington.— Suhas Subramanyam, in a Facebook post
She would work with anyone, of any political party, and put progress front and center.— Pia Dandiya, victory speech (paraphrased)
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