Indian-American candidates contesting on the Democratic ticket have secured significant victories in the 2026 US midterm elections, adding to signs that the political momentum Donald Trump gained among sections of the community in 2024 may have begun to fade.
According to a report by The Hindu, among the prominent winners, Democrat Pia Dandiya defeated Republican Casey Askar in Florida's 22nd Congressional District, while Suhas Subramanyam retained his seat in Virginia's 10th district. Democratic lawmakers Ro Khanna and Pramila Jayapal also secured re-election in California's 17th and Washington's 7th congressional districts, respectively.
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Maryland Lieutenant Governor Aruna Miller, another prominent Indian-American Democrat, also secured another term alongside Governor Wes Moore.
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The victories came alongside a setback for the Republican Party's Indian-American contingent. Vivek Ramaswamy, who had received Trump's endorsement, lost the Ohio governor's race to Democrat Amy Acton. Republican Mahesh Ganorkar was also defeated by Democratic incumbent Valerie Foushee in North Carolina's 4th Congressional District.
As per multiple media reports, the electoral outcomes follow a significant shift in voting preferences captured by a pre-election survey conducted by the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace in partnership with YouGov.
The October 2026 Indian American Attitudes Survey found that 62% of Indian-American citizens intended to vote for the Democratic candidate in their congressional district, compared with just 19% backing the Republican candidate. Another 12% were undecided, while 5% said they would not vote.
The findings, published on November 2 and reported by The Wire, suggest that much of the Republican Party's progress among Indian Americans during the 2024 presidential election has since been reversed.
The shift is particularly striking when compared with the 2024 presidential contest. According to Carnegie's survey, 62% of Indian Americans supported Kamala Harris, while 30% backed Trump. By January 2026, Democratic support had slipped to 57%, while Trump's support stood at 25%.
The latest survey, however, showed Democratic support returning to 62%, with Republican support declining to 19%.
The researchers cautioned that the figures are not directly comparable, as the earlier surveys measured presidential voting preferences, while the October 2026 exercise examined congressional voting intentions. Nevertheless, they said the findings indicated that Republican gains had not translated into sustained electoral support.
Trump's second-term immigration policies, particularly restrictions affecting skilled foreign workers and H-1B visa holders, have emerged as a source of concern among Indian Americans.
The Carnegie survey found that 66% of respondents opposed the administration's proposed $100,000 fee on new H-1B visa petitions. Disapproval of Trump's handling of US-India relations also stood at 55%, while just 20% approved.
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The political environment has also been complicated by growing anti-South Asian rhetoric and concerns about discrimination.
However, the survey suggests that the Democratic resurgence is not necessarily translating into stronger party loyalty. While 46% of Indian Americans identified as Democrats and 19% as Republicans, 62% intended to vote for Democratic congressional candidates.
For Trump and the Republican Party, the findings point to a challenge: the support gained among Indian Americans in 2024 has proved difficult to sustain as immigration, economic and bilateral concerns increasingly shape political preferences.
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