Two Indian-American Republican nominees are mounting long-shot bids against entrenched Indian-American Democratic incumbents in the US House, with Federal Election Commission (FEC) filings showing each challenger holds roughly $5,000 in campaign cash — a figure that starkly illustrates how thin the Republican Party's Indian-American bench remains at the congressional level.

The Fundraising Gap

Ritesh Tandon, the Republican nominee in California's 17th Congressional District, reported $5,227 in cash on 14 October, after raising $4,551 in the first two weeks of the month. He had entered October with just $702 in the bank. His opponent, incumbent Representative Ro Khanna, held $16,936,477 in cash as of 30 September — a war chest more than 3,200 times larger.

In Washington's 7th Congressional District, Republican nominee Nirav Sheth reported raising and spending nothing between 23 July and 30 September, ending that period with $5,043.77. His total fundraising for the 2026 cycle stands at $8,900. Incumbent Representative Pramila Jayapal, by contrast, raised $348,702 in the same July-to-September window and held $1,767,956 in the bank.

Tandon's Uphill Record

This marks Tandon's fourth consecutive run for the California seat. According to FEC records, his fundraising has declined sharply each cycle — from $178,536 in 2020 to $116,486 in 2022, then $26,133 in 2024, and $57,011 for the current cycle. No party funds or outside-group spending have been directed to the district's general election, according to data tracked by PaidForPolitics.

Tandon, a Silicon Valley tech entrepreneur who came to the United States from India at age 28, worked at Cisco and now heads Kricel Corporation. His campaign website notes that his grandfather, Kanhaiyalal Tandon, participated in India's independence movement. His campaign platform states: 'I will always put the Constitution first, defend our founding principles, protect your freedoms, and uphold the rule of law every time without compromise.'

In the June 2 top-two primary, Khanna secured 62.3 per cent of the vote to Tandon's 14.8 per cent.

Sheth's Background and Primary Result

Sheth was born and raised in India and came to the US in 2008 to study engineering. He subsequently served four years in the US Marines before joining the Lakewood, Washington police department in 2017. On immigration, his website states: 'I will advocate for a balanced policy that upholds the nation's sovereignty and ensures safety by securing the borders, while also recognizing the essential role of immigrants in the US workforce.'

In Washington's 4 August primary, Jayapal captured 83.8 per cent of the vote to Sheth's 10.6 per cent. FEC records also show Sheth ran for the same seat in 2024.

The Broader Republican Indian-American Picture

A third Republican Indian-American House nominee, Mahesh 'Max' Ganorkar, is challenging Democratic Representative Valerie Foushee in North Carolina, having raised $6,651 in the third quarter. All three challengers are contesting seats that are considered safe for Democrats.

The contrast with Democratic fundraising elsewhere is sharp. Amish Shah, an Indian-American Democrat running in Arizona's competitive 1st District, raised $3.21 million in the third quarter alone. The most prominent Indian-American Republicans on the 3 November ballot are competing at the statewide level: Vivek Ramaswamy for governor of Ohio and Saritha Komatireddy for New York attorney general.

With election day approaching and the financial gap showing no signs of closing, the outcomes in these three House districts are widely expected to reflect the primary margins.