Indian American council member Nithya Raman widened her lead in the race to become Los Angeles Mayor, while physician Amish Shah declared victory in a Republican-held congressional seat in Arizona as ballot counting continued following the US midterm elections held on 3 November. The twin contests mark a potentially significant moment for Indian American representation in elected office.

Raman Extends Lead Over Incumbent Bass

In Los Angeles, updated county figures released on Wednesday afternoon showed Raman with 405,193 votes, or 51.67 per cent, against incumbent Mayor Karen Bass's 379,069 votes, or 48.33 per cent — a margin of 26,124 votes. Raman, a sitting council member, is seeking to unseat Bass in a contest to lead America's second-largest city.

The trajectory reversed early returns: Bass had held a narrow advantage on election night before the subsequent count shifted the lead to Raman. However, ballots remained outstanding at the time of the latest update. Local outlets including the Los Angeles Times, LAist, and ABC7 tracked Raman's widening advantage, though ABC7's Wednesday update described the contest as still too close to call. No official certification of the result has been issued.

Shah Declares Victory in Arizona's 1st District

In Arizona, Democrat Amish Shah — an emergency-room physician and former state legislator — declared victory over Republican Jay Feely in the state's 1st Congressional District. Election tracker Decision Desk HQ separately projected Shah as the winner on Wednesday evening, according to Arizona broadcaster KTAR. KTAR reported Shah leading with 52.5 per cent of the vote against Feely's 45.4 per cent, a margin of 22,494 votes.

Shah said in a statement that he had spoken with Feely and commended him on a hard-fought campaign, though reports did not confirm that Feely had formally conceded. Feely had reportedly acknowledged on election night that the contest might not go his way. The district, which includes Scottsdale and parts of the Phoenix area, was vacated by Republican Representative David Schweikert, who ran for governor — opening the door for a Democratic pickup. Feely, a former National Football League kicker and broadcaster, had carried the endorsement of President Donald Trump.

Historic Significance for Indian Americans

The Congressional Asian Pacific American Caucus said in a statement issued on Wednesday — before the reported projection — that a Shah win would make him the first Indian American elected to represent Arizona's 1st District. The caucus noted that his election would bring its anticipated Asian American and Pacific Islander membership to 23 in the next Congress, up from the minimum of 22 it had identified earlier.

The caucus also welcomed the election of Pia Dandiya in Florida's 22nd Congressional District, describing her as the first Indian American woman elected to represent that constituency. Taken together, the results represent a broadening footprint for Indian Americans across both local government and the US House.

What Happens Next

Members elected to the US House of Representatives serve two-year terms, and the next Congress is scheduled to begin in January 2027. Neither a candidate's own victory declaration nor a media projection constitutes the official certification of an election result, and the Los Angeles mayoral race in particular still had outstanding ballots to be counted. The coming days of canvassing will determine whether Raman's lead holds and whether Shah's projection is confirmed by official tallies.