 "US Presidential election: Kamala Harris might have lost but Indian Americans have won big")
Democrat Vice President Kamala Harris is trailing behind her rival Donald Trump in their race to the White House. As US election result 2024 is being declared, the win is seen tilting towards Republican.
Trump has been making modest, but noticeable success with the counting picking up pace. Harris, meanwhile, is trailing, but Indian-Americans who contested the election have been victorious.
In the 2024 US elections, nine Indian Americans contested for the US House of Representatives, of them, five were in a re-election bid. The three others made their maiden attempt into Congressional politics with this election.
Suhas Subramanyan:
Suhas Subramanyam made history as the first Indian American elected from Virginia — and the entire East Coast — when he became a Virginia State Senator. Representing a district with a large Indian American population in a Washington DC suburb, Subramanyam previously served as a White House Advisor to President Barack Obama.
He defeated Mike Clancy of the Republican Party in the 2024 US election.
A practicing Hindu, Subramanyan become a popular figure among Indian Americans nationwide, admired for his leadership and public service.
“I am honoured and humbled that the people of Virginia’s 10th District put their trust in me to take on the toughest fights and deliver results in Congress. This district is my home. I got married here, my wife Miranda and I are raising our daughters here, and the issues our community faces are personal to our family. It is an honour to continue serving this district in Washington," Subramanyam said.
He joins the ‘Samosa Caucus’ in the Congress that currently includes five Indian Americans – Ami Bera, Raja Krishnamoorthi, Ro Khanna, Pramila Jayapal and Shri Thanedar.
Impact Shorts
More ShortsAll these five existing Indian American members were re-elected to the House of Representatives.
Ami Bera
A physician by profession, Dr Bera is the senior-most Indian American Congressman representing the sixth Congressional District of California since 2013.
He was re-elected for the seventh consecutive term.
Pramila Jayapal
Democrat Pramila Jayapal has won reelection to the US House from Washington’s 7th Congressional District, continuing to represent a district that includes much of Seattle.
A progressive leader and the first South Asian American woman elected to Congress, Jayapal has been a staunch advocate for healthcare reform, climate action, and workers’ rights. She secured a strong mandate with a significant margin of votes, further solidifying her influence within the Democratic Party.
Raja Krishnamoorthi
A key Democrat candidate in the 2024 US polls, Raja Krishnamoorthi won re-election to a US House seat representing Illinois.
Krishnamoorthi is currently the ranking Democratic member of the House Select Committee on the Chinese Communist Party.
Harvard University-educated lawyer, Krishnamoorthi, was first elected to Congress in 2016.
Before that, he held posts for the state and had served as deputy state treasurer.
Shri Thanedar
Indian American Congressman Shri Thanedar won re-election in Michigan. He contested against Republican candidate Martell Bivings and had a lead of 62.8 per cent votes.
He got elected to Congress in 2022. Before that, he served in the Michigan House of Representatives.
In 1979, Thanedar migrated to the US to pursue PhD in Chemistry at the University of Akron and in 1988, he became a US citizen.
Ro Khanna
Representing seventeenth Congressional District of California since 2017, Ro Khanna won a second term in the US House.
The Indian American contested against Republican candidate Anita Chen in California.
Khanna was first elected to the US House in 2016 after defeating incumbent and democrat Rep Mike Honda.
He serves on the House Armed Services Committee and on the Oversight and Accountability Committee.
Born in Philadelphia, PA, during America’s bicentennial, to a middle-class family Khanna’s parents immigrated to the United States in the 1970s from India.
Amish Shah
A Democrat of Indian origin, Amish Shah has gained a narrow lead in Arizona’s first Congressional District elections. Currently, he is ahead of incumbent David Schweikert in a district that spans much of Scottsdale, Paradise Valley, and Fountain Hills.
Shah, a Phoenix-based emergency room doctor and former state lawmaker, has emerged as the Democratic nominee in Arizona’s 1st Congressional District, challenging seven-term incumbent Republican David Schweikert in a bid to represent the district.
From 2018 to till February this year when he stepped down to focus on his congressional bid, Shah, a former member of the Arizona House of Representatives, represented District 24. After redistricting in 2020, Shah served the newly formed District 5, which covers parts of Phoenix.
Prasanth Reddy
Republican candidate, Dr Prasanth Reddy is running for the House of Representatives from the third Congressional District of Kansas against three-term Democrat Sharice Davids.
Reddy immigrated from Chennai to Kansas as a child and graduated from public schools. He obtained his bachelor’s degree from Kansas State University, after which he went on to complete his medical degree, residency, and fellowship at the University of Kansas Medical Center.
Reddy also got his master’s in public health and completed further training at Harvard Business School.
Rakesh Mohan
A Republican, Dr Rakesh Mohan, contested for the House of Representatives from New Jersey’s third Congressional District.
He is a quadruple board-certified cardiologist and has over 20 years of experience in healthcare. Mohan has held various leadership roles, including Chief Medical Officer of a New Jersey hospital.
Mohan also serves as the President and Managing Partner of a prominent multi-specialty medical practice.
He holds an MBA and has served as an assistant professor in medical centers across New Jersey and New York. Mohan was also reportedly on the frontlines Covid-19 pandemic for patient care.
With inputs from agencies.
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