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Indian Americans emerge victorious in regional elections
Their victories underscore the growing political influence of the community, which accounts for just over one percent of the country's population.
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Clockwise - Suhas Subramanyam, Kannan Srinivasan, Vin Gopal and Neil Makhija /
Numerous Indian American candidates have secured victories in the Nov.7 local and state-level elections, underscoring the growing political influence of the community, which accounts for just over one percent of the country's population.
Suhas Subramanyam has been re-elected to the Virginia State Senate, having previously served two terms in the House of Delegates in 2019 and 2021. A former technology policy advisor in the White House during the Obama Administration, Subramanyam, originally from Houston, made history as the first Hindu to be elected to the Virginia House.
“Tonight's results show that our community wants leadership that will take on tough fights to stand up for our democracy, stand up for our rights, and ensure that every voice is heard,” he said in a statement on X.
Business leader Kannan Srinivasan, who immigrated from India in the 1990s, was elected to the Virginia House of Delegates, representing the Indian-American dominated Loudoun County area. “Today, we celebrate a victory for the values we hold dear – inclusivity, protecting women's productive rights, common gun safety laws, quality healthcare for all, excellence in education and a brighter future for our commonwealth,” he said.
“I came to the US in 1992 to pursue my higher education - as an immigrant to be elected to the Virginia House of Delegates, I am very humbled and grateful for the opportunities and I look forward to serve this great State,” he added.
In Pennsylvania, Neil Makhija, a Democrat, secured the position of Montgomery County Commissioner, marking a historic milestone as the first-ever Indian American or Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders (AAPI) to serve on a county's board of commissioners in the Commonwealth's 342-year history.
“I am incredibly grateful and humbled by the voters' faith in our vision for a proactive approach to protecting our voting rights, keeping guns off our streets, and working to ensure that Montgomery County remains a great place to live and raise a family for all,” he said.
In New Jersey, Indian American Vin Gopal from the Democratic Party won his bid for a third term in the State Senate. The 38-year-old, first elected in 2017 and reelected in 2021, secured 58 percent of the vote, defeating his Republican challenger, Steve Dnistrian, who received 38 percent. “Since day one, we have been on the ground putting in the work, meeting voters at doorsteps and diners, having real conversations about the issues they face, and showing up for Monmouth County,” Gopal said.
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