Who Are The Indian-Origin Candidates Running In The 2026 US Midterm Elections?

As the US midterm elections are in full swing, several Indian-American candidates are contesting, with races spanning the US Congress, governorships, state legislatures and local offices. From Republican Vivek Ramaswamy’s bid for the Ohio governor’s office to Democratic lawmakers seeking re-election to Congress, candidates of Indian origin are on ballots across 22 states.

The candidates include one contender for the US Senate, 11 for the House of Representatives, three for statewide offices, 36 for state legislatures and six for local posts. The count includes candidates whose Indian heritage could be confirmed, while another 15 potential candidates were excluded because their backgrounds could not be verified.

The elections will determine control of Congress for the remaining two years of US President Donald Trump’s second term, with all 435 seats in the House of Representatives and 35 Senate seats up for election, alongside several gubernatorial and local contests.

Vivek Ramaswamy's Ohio Governor Bid

One of the most closely watched contests involving an Indian-origin candidate is the Ohio gubernatorial race, where Republican Vivek Ramaswamy is challenging Democrat Amy Acton.

A biotech entrepreneur, Ramaswamy rose to national prominence during the 2024 Republican presidential nomination race. He has received the backing of Trump and is seeking to become Ohio's governor.

His Democratic opponent, Acton, is a physician and former director of the Ohio Department of Health. She served in the role during the Covid-19 pandemic.

Indian-Americans In The US Congress

Four Indian-American Democratic lawmakers are seeking re-election to the House of Representatives.

Ro Khanna, who represents California's 17th Congressional District, is facing Republican Ritesh Tandon. The constituency includes parts of Silicon Valley, and the contest features two candidates of Indian origin from opposing parties.

Pramila Jayapal, who represents Washington's 7th Congressional District around Seattle, is seeking another term. Her Republican challenger is Nirav Sheth, also of Indian origin.

Ami Bera, a physician and the longest-serving Indian-American currently in Congress, is contesting from California's 3rd Congressional District. Meanwhile, Suhas Subramanyam, who entered the House in 2024, is seeking re-election from Virginia's 10th Congressional District.

Other Indian-origin candidates contesting House seats include Democrat Amish Shah in Arizona's 1st Congressional District and Pia Dandiya in Florida's 22nd District. Both are contesting open seats.

In Texas, Democrat Pooja Sethi is contesting from House District 47, while Sandeep Srivastava is running from District 66. A victory would make Sethi the first Indian-American in the Texas Legislature.

Republican Mahesh Ganorkar is contesting North Carolina's 4th Congressional District. Independents Sandeep Dixit and Anil Kumar are also running for House seats in Ohio and Michigan, respectively.

Other Key Indian-Origin Candidates

The Indian-American candidates are also contesting elections for statewide and local offices.

In New York, Republican Saritha Komatireddy is challenging incumbent Democratic Attorney General Letitia James. Komatireddy is a former federal prosecutor and former chief of staff at the Drug Enforcement Administration.

In Maryland, Democrat Aruna Miller is seeking another term as lieutenant governor alongside incumbent Governor Wes Moore.

In Massachusetts, independent candidate Shiva Ayyadurai is contesting the US Senate seat held by Democratic Senator Ed Markey.

In Los Angeles, city council member Nithya Raman is challenging incumbent Mayor Karen Bass in a non-partisan contest. Raman, who was born in India, has built her political profile around housing and homelessness.

Other Indian-origin candidates are contesting state legislative and local elections across the country, including Salt Lake County District Attorney Sim Gill, Oakland City Council member Janani Ramachandran and Rohit Malhotra, who is running for the Fulton County Commission in Georgia.

Indian-American Representation In Congress

The elections also come after two Indian-American lawmakers failed to secure their party nominations earlier this year.

Raja Krishnamoorthi, who represented Illinois in the House, lost the Democratic primary for the state's Senate seat to Juliana Stratton in March. Shri Thanedar of Michigan also lost his Democratic primary to Donavan McKinney in August.

Their exits mean the number of Indian-American members in the House could change depending on the results of the contests involving challengers such as Amish Shah and Pia Dandiya.

The results of Tuesday's elections will determine the extent of Indian-American representation in American political institutions, from Congress and state governments to local administration.