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Vivek Ramaswamy, Ro Khanna: 8 Indian-Americans in fray for US midterm elections
On November 3, US President Donald Trump's Republican Party and the opposition Democratic Party will face off in a crucial midterm election.
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The United States will hold its midterm election on November 3, with President Donald Trump's Republican Party facing a crucial electoral test against the opposition Democratic Party.
Against the backdrop of voter concerns over rising prices, energy costs and economy, Indian-American candidates are contesting across the country, spanning gubernatorial battles, seats in the House of Representatives and state-level offices. The prominent names include - Vivek Ramaswamy, Ro Khanna, Pramila Jayapal, Amish Shah, Ami Bera, Suhas Subramanyam, Josh Kaul, and Nithya Raman.
Here are 8 Indian-American candidates contesting -
1. Vivek Ramaswamy
Party: Republican
Election: Governor
Seat: Ohio
Born in Cincinnati with roots in Kerala, Ramaswamy traded in his biotech entrepreneur career for politics by running against Trump in the Republican presidential primary in 2024. He now faces off against Democrat Amy Acton.
2. Ro Khanna
Party: Democratic
Election: House of Representatives
Seat: California 17th district
Khanna, born in Philadelphia to a Punjabi family, has been working in US politics since the mid-1990s. He has held his current seat since 2017. The 50-year-old faces Republican Ritesh Tandon, also an Indian-American.
3. Pramila Jayapal
Party: Democratic
Election: House of Representatives
Seat: Washington 7th district
Born in Chennai, Pramila Jayapal lived in Indonesia and Singapore before emigrating to the US at age 16. She has held her seat since 2016 and faces an Indian-American Republican challenger Nirav Sheth.
4. Amish Shah
Party: Democratic
Election: House of Representatives
Seat: Arizona 1st district
Shah spent several years in sports medicine, with five of them as a physio for NFL franchise, New York Jets. He first ran for this seat in 2024, but lost. This time, his opponent is a former NFL player and broadcaster, Jay Feely.
5. Ami Bera
Party: Democratic
Election: House of Representatives
Seat: California 3rd district
Bera, who has roots in Gujarat, worked as a physician before running for office and winning his seat in 2012. He has been re-elected six times, twice after his seat was redistricted. In 2026, he is up against Republican Robb Tucker.
6. Suhas Subramanyam
Party: Democratic
Election: House of Representatives
Seat: Virginia 10th district
Subramanyam joined the Obama admin in its final years as a tech policy advisor. He got his maiden national-level election victory in 2024. In 2026, he faces off against Republican Dave Beckwith, a US Air Force veteran.
7. Josh Kaul
Party: Democratic
Election: Attorney General (AG)
Seat: Wisconsin
Kaul has served as Wisconsin AG since 2018. In 2024, he brought forgery charges against three Trump campaign staffers. He is of Kashmiri Pandit descent on his father's side. His mother Peg Lautenschlager was also an AG.
8. Nithya Raman
Party: Democratic
Election: Mayor
Seat: Los Angeles
Born in Kerala, Raman is looking to replicate New Yorker Zohran Mamdani's success at a mayoral level in the US'S second-largest city, Los Angeles. She has built her political career on a progressive agenda. She faces incumbent Karen Bass.
High prices, driven by a sharp surge in energy costs since the US and Israel went to war with Iran in February, have hurt ordinary voters, who are increasingly unhappy with Trump's handling of the US economy, polls indicate.
With his approval ratings falling and his party facing the prospect of heavy losses, Trump has sought to stop energy prices rising further.
