Indian-Americans win primaries, close to making history

Indian-Americans got closer to making history in the US primaries with Kamala Harris, the California attorney general, advancing to the general election.

Indian-Americans got closer to making history in the US primaries on Tuesday with Kamala Harris, the California attorney general, advancing to the general election.

California attorney general Kamala Harris and her husband, Douglas Emhoff, vote at Kenter Canyon Elementary School in Los Angeles on Tuesday. The top two candidates for California's first open US Senate seat in 24 years will advance to a run-off election in November to replace retiring Barbara Boxer. Harris is a heavy favourite and fellow Democrat Loretta Sanchez is looking to hold off three Republican challengers for second place. (AP)

In the state’s unique primary system of the top two, irrespective of their party affiliations, advancing to the final round, Harris faces fellow Democrat congresswoman Loretta Sanchez.

If she wins, Harris, whose mother is from India and father from Jamaica, will become the first Indian-American elected to the Senate, and only the second African-American woman.

Also in California, Ro Khanna, a Democrat running for a congressional district that broadly makes up the whole of the Silicon Valley, advanced to the final round.

He too faces another Democrat, incumbent Mike Honda. This is their second direct fight but Khanna seems to have the edge this time, being in the lead at one point during counting.

In the third contest also in California, the only Indian-American member of the House of Representatives, Ami Bera, advanced to the last stage in his bid for a third term.

If Bera and Khanna win, the number of Indian-Americans in the House will go up to a never-before total of two, and possibly three, if Raja Krishnamoorthi, a Democrat running in Illinois, also wins. He has cleared his primaries.