Indian American representation in the 120th U.S. Congress could reach six when lawmakers convene on January 3, 2027, following victories by five candidates and a lead for another as counting continues. Incumbents Ami Bera (CA-03), Ro Khanna (CA-17), Pramila Jayapal (WA-07), and Suhas Subramanyam (VA-10) secured reelection, while newcomer Pia Dandiya won Florida’s 22nd District.
Dr. Amish Shah was leading in Arizona’s 1st District, with the race still uncalled in the reporting reviewed.
The results came as Democrats won control of both the House of Representatives and the Senate, although counting continued in numerous races nationwide. Dandiya’s victory and a potential win by Shah would maintain Indian American representation at six members, following the departures of Raja Krishnamoorthi and Shri Thanedar.
House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, who is expected to become the next speaker, described the results as a historic Democratic majority for the 21st century. He said the outcome was more than a “blue wave,” calling it an “American Tsunami.”
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“We promised to fight for an affordable America, and that’s exactly what we will do… We’re going to fight hard for every single American, wherever you may reside,” he said.
Jeffries added that Democrats would work for residents of small towns, rural communities, and urban areas, as well as Black and brown communities throughout the country.
“This is a victory for the American people, and we should never doubt the resilience, the character, the courage, and the conviction of the American people to do the right thing,” he added.
Jeffries also introduced Katherine Clark as the incoming House majority leader. Clark would become the first woman to hold that leadership position.
In a Truth Social post, President Donald Trump wrote, “I wasn’t on the Ballot and if I was, we would have won in a Landslide…”
Subramanyam, in a statement following his reelection, said the victory belonged to everyone who made their voice heard and called for change in Washington.
“Serving our community in Congress has been the honor of my life. I am deeply honored that voters in Virginia trusted me to continue serving them at a time when our community and country are at a crossroads.”
He said his constituents had faced rising costs, federal workforce firings, and reductions in healthcare and food assistance. He criticized the administration’s spending priorities, arguing that those reductions helped finance unnecessary foreign wars and tax cuts for the wealthiest corporations. Virginians, he said, deserve a Congress that serves the public rather than the president.
“With a majority in Congress and the people behind me, I promise to tackle the issues facing our community head-on,” he added. “We are going to stand up for federal workers and contractors, reverse cuts to healthcare and food assistance, and demand an end to forever wars. We will also put guardrails on AI and data centers, lower costs by fighting unnecessary tariffs, and hold this Administration accountable for fraud and corruption.”
Subramanyam thanked his wife, Miranda, and his entire family for their support throughout the campaign.
“I am also so grateful to all the volunteers, staff, supporters, friends, and family who made this possible. Whether you voted for me or not, I will work every day to be your voice in Congress.”
He also thanked his Republican opponent, Dave Beckwith, for running and for his service to the country.
“The campaign is over, but the work is just beginning. I look forward to working with our community to deliver change in Washington,” Subramanyam added.
Khanna and Bera secured reelection in California, while Jayapal retained her seat in Washington.
“It’s an honor to win re-election to represent WA-07,” Jayapal said, crediting the organizers, volunteers, and voters who supported her campaign and helped secure the victory.
“Thank you, thank you, thank you from the bottom of my heart,” she added.
Congratulating his Democratic colleagues, Khanna cited an NBC projection that the party could win as many as 258 House seats.
“That is larger than the majority we had in 2008. I have not felt this good or inspired about an election since Barack Obama spoke at Grant Park,” he added.
Dandiya won Florida’s 22nd Congressional District, becoming the first South Asian and Indian American elected to Congress from the state.
“It is my honor to be the first South Asian to represent Florida, and to be only the second South Asian woman to serve in the U.S. House in the history of the United States of America,” Dandiya said in her victory speech.
Speaking about opportunities for young people, Dandiya said her parents arrived in Palm Beach County 40 years ago in pursuit of the American dream. One generation later, she said, their daughter was preparing to serve in Congress.
“Thank you. I am humbled and honored to represent my home state. Thank you to everyone who knocked doors, phone banked, donated, and believed in me. Now, the real work begins,” Dandiya said following her election.
In Arizona, Shah, a physician and former state legislator seeking an open seat in the 1st Congressional District, led Republican Thomas “Jay” Feely as counting continued. A victory would make him the sixth Indian-American member of the incoming House.
At the statewide level, Aruna Miller won another term as Maryland lieutenant governor alongside Governor Wes Moore.
“Maryland, it is the greatest honor of my life to serve as your governor and I am thrilled to continue working alongside Lieutenant Governor Aruna Miller to finish what we’ve started and keep building a Maryland that leaves no one behind,” Moore said.
“Governor Moore and I are incredibly grateful to Marylanders for trusting us once again,” Miller said. “To our tireless volunteers, dedicated campaign teams, and families who sacrificed so much, thank you. I’ve always said I have the best job in the world because I get to serve the people of Maryland. And I can’t wait to get back to work!”
Former President Barack Obama said voters had delivered a clear message favoring politics that brings people “together” rather than “divides” them. He said Americans wanted leaders offering concrete solutions to the challenges facing their communities.
“These results were only possible because outstanding candidates stepped forward in every region of the country, including in areas once considered long shots,” Obama added. “They came from different backgrounds and represented a range of political perspectives, but were united by shared values, a belief in public service, and a commitment to putting the people of their districts and states first.”
Former Vice President Kamala Harris said the results reflected public frustration with what she described as “corruption, incompetence, and callousness” in the White House and the “capitulation” of Republican leaders.
“As I traveled the country to campaign for Democrats up and down the ballot, I witnessed the resolve of the people to turn pain into purpose, and anger into action,” she added.
In a separate statement, Indian American Impact Executive Director Chintan Patel congratulated the winning candidates. He said their victories reflected the growing political influence and civic participation of Indian-American and South Asian American communities across the United States.
Additional South Asian Victories Reported as Counting Continues
The following candidates were also reported as winners in state and local contests, with counting continuing in many states:
- Suleman Lalani won reelection to the Texas House of Representatives in District 76.
- Janani Ramachandran won reelection to the Oakland City Council in California’s District 4.
- Anant Nambiar won reelection as a county legislator in New York’s District 7.
- Priya Sundareshan won reelection to the Arizona State Senate in District 18.
- Dr. Krish Subrahmanian won election to the Minnesota State Senate in District 49.
- Rohit Malhotra won the special election for the Fulton County Commission’s District 4 seat in Georgia.
- Ranjan Rohatgi won election to the St. Joseph County Council in Indiana’s District B.
- Farooq Mughal won election to the Georgia House of Representatives in District 105.
- Lisa Kaul won election to the New York State Senate in District 39.
- Nabeela Syed won election to the Illinois State Senate in District 26.
- Salman Bhojani won reelection to the Texas House of Representatives in District 92.
- Neil Manimala won election to the Hillsborough County Commission in Florida’s District 5.
- Jeremy Cooney won reelection to the New York State Senate in District 56.
- Amar Mukunda won election to the Maryland State Senate in District 39.
- Saba Haider won election to the Illinois House of Representatives in District 84.
- Kesha Ram won reelection to the Vermont State Senate, representing Chittenden-Southeast.
- Dr. Nikhil Goyal won election to the Vermont State Senate, representing Chittenden-Central.
- Josh Kaul won reelection as Wisconsin attorney general.
- Pooja Sethi won election to the Texas House of Representatives in District 47, becoming the first Indian American elected to the Texas Legislature.
- Dr. Arvind Venkat won reelection to the Pennsylvania House of Representatives in District 30.
- Jyot Singh won election to the Georgia House of Representatives in District 97, becoming the first Indian American and first Sikh American elected to the state legislature.
- North Carolina Senate Democratic Whip Jay Chaudhuri won reelection in District 15.
- Mona Singh won election to an at-large seat on North Carolina’s Wake County Board of Commissioners.
- Saira Draper won election to the Georgia State Senate in District 44.
- Haseeb Fatmi won election to the North Carolina State Senate in District 18, becoming the first Bangladeshi American elected to the chamber.
- Akbar Ali won reelection to the Georgia House of Representatives in District 106.
- Ram Villivalam won election to the Illinois State Senate in District 8.
- Aparna Raj won the Ward 1 seat on the Washington, D.C., Council.
- Meriam Sabih won election to the Pennsylvania House, District 131.
- Ranjeev Puri won reelection to the Michigan House of Representatives in District 24.
- Manisha Kotian won election to the Hamilton County Court of Common Pleas in Ohio.
- Judge Manpreet Monica Singh won reelection to Harris County Civil Court at Law No. 4 in Texas.
- Judge Surendran Pattel won reelection to the 240th District Court in Fort Bend County, Texas.
- Darshana Patel has won her reelection to the California State Assembly, District 76.
- Silky Joshi Malik won reelection to the Harris County Department of Education Board of Trustees, Position 7 At-Large in Texas.
- Marissa Roy won election as City Attorney in Los Angeles, California.
