At least nine Indian-American Republicans are on the 3 November ballot across the United States, led by Vivek Ramaswamy in the Ohio governor's race, even as senior leaders of their own party intensify attacks on the H-1B visa programme — a legal immigration pathway historically relied upon by Indian professionals to work in America.

Vance's Remarks and the H-1B Crackdown

On Thursday, Vice President JD Vance told reporters that most H-1B visa holders were being used to displace American workers. 'Unfortunately, what we see with most H-1Bs is that you're taking somebody, I'm sure in most cases, a decent human being, and they're using them to replace an American middle class worker,' Vance said. He added: 'We want a lot of other people to come into the United States of America if they have truly elite specialized skills.'

The Trump administration has also imposed a $100,000 fee on certain H-1B petitions — a move since blocked by a second federal judge — and suspended the employment green card route for eight technology firms. The measures have fuelled anxiety among Indian-American communities that have historically leaned on legal immigration channels.

The High-Stakes Races

Ramaswamy's contest against Democratic nominee Amy Acton in Ohio is rated a toss-up by all three major election forecasters, with Acton leading by 4.6 to 4.8 percentage points in polling averages as of Saturday. In New York, Trump-endorsed Saritha Komatireddy is challenging Democratic Attorney General Letitia James, who led her 52% to 39% in a Siena poll conducted 11–17 September. 'I worked for the DEA administrator while Joe Biden was president… I was nominated to be a federal judge by President Trump,' Komatireddy told NY1 in August.

The party also fields three Indian-American House nominees, all contesting strongly Democratic seats considered long shots: Ritesh Tandon against incumbent Ro Khanna in California's 17th District; Nirav Sheth against Pramila Jayapal in Washington's 7th District; and Mahesh 'Max' Ganorkar against Valerie Foushee in North Carolina's 4th District. Sheth, born and raised in India, arrived in the US in 2008 as an engineering student and later served in the Marine Corps. His campaign website states: 'As an Immigrant, I know that legal immigration not only ensures a successful integration into our great nation but also upholds the values of fairness, opportunity, and diversity that make the US a beacon of hope for those seeking a better life.'

At the state level, New York Assemblyman Anil Beephan Jr and Tennessee state Representative Sabi 'Doc' Kumar are seeking re-election, while Vinaya Singh — a former Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) scientist — is challenging a Democratic incumbent in the California Assembly, and Ashok Baddi is doing the same in the Michigan House.

The Pressure on Indian-Americans in Texas

The anti-immigration backlash has been particularly acute in Texas. Governor Greg Abbott froze new H-1B petitions at state agencies and universities in January. Abbott's spokesman Andrew Mahaleris said the state 'cannot allow a program intended only to supplement the American workforce to be exploited to displace qualified US workers or suppress wages.' Congressman Brandon Gill has called for a freeze on all legal immigration. Attorney general candidate Aaron Reitz reportedly spoke of an 'invasion of un-assimilated and un-assimilable Indians.'

In Frisco, all Indian-American candidates in the spring city council and school board elections lost, including Republican Sreekanth Reddy. 'I think a lot of the people who voted for Trump wouldn't now. It's been disappointing,' Reddy said. Fellow Frisco Republican Vijay Karthik echoed the concern: 'We've talked about this with the Republican Party, saying, don't alienate us…'

Ramaswamy himself has faced online attacks. Far-right commentator Nick Fuentes reportedly called him an 'anchor baby who got your birthright citizenship from your H-1B parents.' Ramaswamy responded at Turning Point's AmericaFest in December 2025: 'If you believe in normalizing hatred towards any ethnic group – toward Whites, toward Blacks, towards Hispanics, towards Jews, towards Indians, you have no place in the future of the conservative movement,' according to The Washington Post.

Indian-American Voter Sentiment Shifts

Survey data points to deepening disillusionment. An AAPI Data survey in February found that 68% of Indian-American voters believed Trump had gone too far in restricting legal immigration. A combined AAPI Vote/AAPI Data survey conducted this summer found 74% viewed Trump unfavourably.

Historically, Indian-Americans have had a foothold in Republican politics: the first two Indian-American governors — Bobby Jindal of Louisiana and Nikki Haley of South Carolina — were Republicans. All six current Indian-American members of the House, however, are Democrats. The Republican National Committee has attempted outreach through community centres opened since 2021, including one in Coppell, Texas, launched with a Diwali ceremony. Whether that effort can withstand the current anti-immigration rhetoric within the party remains to be seen ahead of the 3 November vote.