Indian-Origin Candidates In US Midterm Elections: Who Are The Key Faces And Where Do They Stand?

New Delhi: Indian-origin candidates are making their presence felt across several contests in the November 3 US midterm elections, with Democrats and Republicans competing for seats in Congress, state legislatures and key executive offices. While some have already secured victories, others are battling closely fought contests as votes continue to be counted.

Among the prominent names are Republican Vivek Ramaswamy, who is trailing Democratic rival Amy Acton in the Ohio gubernatorial race, and Democrat Suhas Subramanyam, who has won re-election from Virginia's 10th Congressional District. Indian-American Lieutenant Governor Aruna Miller has also secured another term in Maryland, while Democrat Pia Dandiya is maintaining a lead in Florida.

Several other Indian-origin candidates, including Ro Khanna, Pramila Jayapal, Ami Bera, Pooja Sethi and Amish Shah, are also part of the electoral contest. Here is a closer look at the candidates and their electoral battles.

Vivek Ramaswamy Trails, Suhas Subramanyam Wins Another Term

Republican Vivek Ramaswamy, whose parents migrated from Kerala, is facing a tough challenge in the Ohio gubernatorial election. Despite receiving the backing of US President Donald Trump and winning the Republican primary in May, Ramaswamy is trailing Democratic candidate Amy Acton by a considerable margin.

According to the initial results, Acton had secured approximately 63 per cent of the votes against Ramaswamy's 34 per cent, with around one-quarter of the expected ballots counted. The contest remained too early to call.

A biotechnology entrepreneur and former Republican presidential contender, Ramaswamy is contesting to succeed term-limited Republican Governor Mike DeWine.

Meanwhile, Democrat Suhas Subramanyam has secured re-election to the US House of Representatives from Virginia's 10th Congressional District. According to NBC News projections, Subramanyam received approximately 63 per cent of the votes, while Republican challenger Dave Beckwith secured 35 per cent, with around 82 per cent of the expected ballots counted.

Born in Houston to Indian parents, the 40-year-old first entered Congress in 2025. He made history in 2024 by becoming Virginia's first Indian-American member of Congress.

Subramanyam attended Tulane University in New Orleans and later earned his law degree with honours from Northwestern University. He also served as a White House technology policy advisor during former US President Barack Obama's administration.

Another Indian-American Democrat, Aruna Miller, has secured another term as Maryland's Lieutenant Governor. She contested alongside Democratic Governor Wes Moore, who was also projected to win re-election. Their Republican opponents included lieutenant governor candidate Rob Krop, who ran alongside former state delegate Dan Cox.

Ro Khanna, Pramila Jayapal And Ami Bera Among Key Congressional Candidates

Indian-origin representation in the US House of Representatives also features several established political figures, including Ro Khanna, Pramila Jayapal and Ami Bera.

In California's 17th Congressional District, Democratic Congressman Ro Khanna is seeking another term. The constituency includes parts of Silicon Valley, and Khanna is contesting against Indian-American entrepreneur Ritesh Tandon.

In Washington's 7th Congressional District, Pramila Jayapal is facing Republican challenger Nirav Sheth, a Gujarat-born former US Marine. Jayapal, whose family roots are in Kerala, has represented the constituency since 2017. She is also the first Indian-American woman to be elected to the US House of Representatives.

Democratic Congressman Ami Bera is another Indian-origin candidate seeking to retain his seat. He is contesting from California's 3rd Congressional District. Born in the United States to Gujarati parents who migrated from Rajkot, Bera was the third Indian-American to be elected to the US Congress.

In Florida's 22nd Congressional District, Democrat Pia Dandiya is maintaining an advantage over Republican Casey Askar. With approximately 94 per cent of the expected votes counted, Dandiya had secured around 52 per cent against Askar's 48 per cent. NBC News had not projected an outright winner, although Dandiya continued to lead with relatively few ballots remaining.

A former teacher and high school principal in Harlem, Dandiya was born and raised in Palm Beach County, Florida. She is seeking to enter Congress from a newly reconfigured South Florida constituency.

From Texas To Arizona: Indian-Origin Candidates In Other Electoral Battles

Several other Indian-origin candidates are contesting congressional and state legislative seats across the country.

In Texas, Democrat Pooja Sethi is contesting from House District 47. An attorney, she has previously worked as chief of staff in the Texas Legislature.

Democratic candidate Sandeep Srivastava is contesting from Texas House District 66. A businessman and community advocate based in the Plano-Frisco area, he is challenging a Republican candidate who has represented the constituency for five terms.

In Arizona's 1st Congressional District, Democrat Amish Shah is contesting against Republican Jay Feely, a former National Football League kicker who has received an endorsement from President Donald Trump.

A physician and former state representative, Shah served three terms in the Arizona House of Representatives. He also contested the 2024 congressional election but narrowly lost to Republican David Schweikert.

Beyond congressional and state legislative contests, Nithya Raman is contesting the Los Angeles mayoral election. An urban planner and member of the Los Angeles City Council, Raman previously served as co-chair of the Silver Lake Neighbourhood Council's Homelessness Committee. She also co-founded the SELAH Neighbourhood Homeless Coalition.

In Massachusetts, independent Indian-American candidate Shiva Ayyadurai contested against Democratic Senator Ed Markey and Republican John Deaton. However, Markey was projected to secure re-election, resulting in a defeat for Ayyadurai.

In Georgia, Democratic Senator Jon Ossoff was projected to retain his seat after defeating Republican Congressman Mike Collins. Meanwhile, Indian-American Democrat Jyot Singh held an early advantage over Republican Yassin Moghazy in the state's House District 97, with counting still underway.

Republican Mahesh Ganorkar in North Carolina was among the other Indian-origin candidates awaiting a conclusive result.

The November 3 elections will determine the balance of power in the 435-member US House of Representatives, 35 Senate seats, governorships, state legislatures and municipal offices.