Five Indian-American Democrats secured seats in the US House of Representatives in Tuesday's midterm elections, as voters across America cast ballots halfway through President Donald Trump's second term. A sixth congressional win remained within reach, with physician Amish Shah holding a commanding lead in Arizona, while city councillor Nithya Raman edged ahead in the fiercely contested Los Angeles mayoral race.

Confirmed Congressional Winners

Decision Desk HQ projected victories for Pia Dandiya, Suhas Subramanyam, Pramila Jayapal, Ro Khanna, and Ami Bera — all Democrats — in their respective House races. The wins add to a growing roster of Indian-descent lawmakers shaping federal policy in Washington.

Dandiya, a former school principal whose parents immigrated from India, defeated Republican Casey Askar in Florida's 22nd Congressional District with approximately 52 per cent of the vote against Askar's 48 per cent. In Virginia, Subramanyam claimed a second term from the 10th Congressional District, routing Republican Dave Beckwith with roughly 61.5 per cent. 'The campaign is over, but the work is just beginning. I look forward to working with our community to deliver change in Washington,' Subramanyam said in his victory statement.

In Washington state, Jayapal retained her 7th Congressional District seat, while Khanna defeated fellow Indian-American Republican Ritesh Tandon in California's 17th District. California Democrat Bera was also projected to win another term from the newly redrawn 3rd District, defeating Republican Robb Tucker.

Shah Leads in Arizona, Race Uncalled

Physician and former Arizona state legislator Amish Shah held a lead of approximately 54.6 per cent against Republican Jay Feely's 43.5 per cent in Arizona's 1st Congressional District, with about 81 per cent of the expected vote counted in an overnight update. The race had not yet been called. A Shah victory would bring the Indian-American Democratic tally in the House to six.

Raman Narrows Gap in Los Angeles Mayoral Race

Los Angeles City Council member Nithya Raman overtook incumbent Mayor Karen Bass as additional ballots were counted overnight in the race to lead America's second-largest city. According to ABC7 Los Angeles, Raman received 354,214 votes, or 50.55 per cent, against Bass's 346,513 votes, or 49.45 per cent, in results released at 2:05 a.m. Pacific Time. The contest remained too close to call.

Statewide and Legislative Gains

Beyond Congress, Indian-American candidates recorded significant wins at the state level. In Maryland, Lieutenant Governor Aruna Miller secured another four-year term after Democratic Governor Wes Moore won re-election. Wisconsin Attorney General Josh Kaul, whose father is of Indian origin, was re-elected, defeating Republican Eric Toney.

In state legislative races, Texas Democrat Pooja Sethi declared victory in House District 47 after leading with approximately 63.4 per cent against Republican Jennifer Mushtaler's 36.6 per cent, with more than 95 per cent of votes counted. In Georgia, Democrat Jyot Singh declared victory in House District 97, leading Republican Yassin Moghazy by roughly 68 per cent to 32 per cent. In Illinois, Democrat Nabeela Syed led Republican incumbent Darby Hills in Senate District 26 with approximately 57 per cent, while Ram Villivalam retained an Illinois Senate seat and Arvind Venkat won re-election to Pennsylvania's House of Representatives.

Notable Defeats and Broader Context

The most prominent Indian-American Republican loss came in Ohio, where Democrat Amy Acton defeated Vivek Ramaswamy in the Governor's race despite strong backing from President Donald Trump and Vice President J D Vance. Ramaswamy, whose family traces its roots to Kerala's Palakkad district, conceded late Tuesday. In New York, Republican Saritha Komatireddy lost the attorney general's race to Democratic incumbent Letitia James. Other Indian-American candidates who lost included Mahesh Ganorkar in North Carolina and Sandeep Dixit in Ohio.

Notably, the 3 November elections — held halfway through Trump's second presidential term — gave Democrats projected control of both chambers of Congress, with all 435 House seats and 35 Senate seats contested alongside governorships and state and local offices. Indian-American political representation has expanded considerably since Dalip Singh Saund became the first Indian-born member of Congress in 1957, with candidates of Indian descent now competing across both major parties at every level of government.

With ballot counting continuing in Arizona and Los Angeles, the full scope of Indian-American electoral success in the 2026 midterms is expected to become clearer over the coming days.