Early voting opened on Monday, 19 October 2026 in Texas and Florida's Palm Beach County, with several Indian-American candidates contesting state legislature and congressional seats ahead of the 3 November midterm elections. The races span multiple battleground states — Texas, Florida, Arizona, Ohio, New York, and California — and have drawn tens of millions of dollars in outside spending.

Texas: A historic first within reach

In Texas House District 47, Democrat Pooja Sethi is mounting a bid that could make history. A victory would make her the first Hindu and the first Indian American elected to the Texas state legislature. In House District 66, Democrat Sandeep Srivastava faces a considerably tougher contest against Republican Matt Shaheen, who chairs the House Elections Committee and secured 61.1% of the vote in 2024. Srivastava himself lost a 2024 congressional race to Republican Keith Self by a margin of 62.5 to 37.5.

Florida's tight race draws heavy outside money

In Florida's 22nd Congressional District, Democrat Pia Dandiya's challenge to Republican Casey Askar is being watched closely, with leading forecasters calling it a near-dead heat. Cook Political Report and Sabato's Crystal Ball rate the race a Toss-up, while Inside Elections leans it slightly toward Askar. Individual forecasting models are split: PollingForecast gives Dandiya a 56% probability of winning, while Call the Map gives Askar 54%. Early voting in Palm Beach County runs through 1 November across 28 sites, according to the county elections office.

The contest has attracted substantial outside spending. Federal filings show No Going Back PAC has spent approximately $3.8 million against Dandiya, while groups backing her — including Progressive Turnout Project, LCV Victory Fund, and House Majority PAC — have collectively spent more than $560,000. Notably, the two super PACs targeting Dandiya and Arizona's Amish Shah have yet to disclose their donors; both switched to monthly filing in September, with first donor reports covering through 30 September due on 20 October.

Arizona shifts in Shah's favour

In Arizona's 1st Congressional District, Democrat Amish Shah's race against Republican Jay Feely saw a notable shift on 15 October, when Inside Elections moved it from Toss-up to Tilt Democrat. Cook Political Report rates it Lean Democrat, while Sabato's Crystal Ball still calls it a Toss-up. The race has attracted approximately $7.6 million in spending against Shah, with Safety & Affordability PAC leading at $3.76 million.

Ohio governor's race: Acton refuses to debate Ramaswamy

In Ohio, where early voting is already under way, Democratic gubernatorial candidate Amy Acton has declined to share a debate stage with Republican rival Vivek Ramaswamy. In an interview with The Vindicator, Acton stated, 'I absolutely will never stand on a stage with someone who has lied in the egregious ways he has, who has a chronic history of lying.' Ramaswamy told the same newspaper he 'was shocked' when he learned she would not debate.

New York and Los Angeles: More contests to watch

New York early voting begins 24 October, where Republican Saritha Komatireddy is challenging incumbent Attorney General Letitia James. A poll commissioned by Komatireddy's campaign, conducted by OnMessage Inc and reported by the New York Post, showed James leading 50.7 to 44.7. The last independent survey — a Siena College poll from September — had James ahead by a wider margin of 52 to 39. Meanwhile, Los Angeles County vote centres open on 24 October, where city councillor Nithya Raman is challenging incumbent Mayor Karen Bass in the mayoral race.

With early voting now open across multiple states, the coming days will test whether Indian-American candidates can translate strong fundraising and competitive forecasts into actual ballot victories on 3 November.