Washington, D.C. (Commonwealth Union)_ In the US midterm elections, a record five Democratic candidates from the Indian-American community have been elected to the US House of Representatives. The honorable candidates are Shri Thanedar, Raja Krishnamoorthi, Ro Khanna, Ami Bera, and Pramila Jayapal. Their entry into the US House has strengthened the weight of the Indian-American community, and they have joined the ranks of current Vice President Kamala Harris.
Ami Bera
Ami Bera is one of the senior Congress representatives to be elected to the US House. The 57-year-old politician competed for a sixth term. Originating from Gujarat, he ran for office for the first time in 2010, but lost the race. However, he then won six elections in a row, year after year.
Ro Khanna
The 46-year-old Ro Khanna was born in Philadelphia but is of Punjabi descent. In the 17th congressional district, he won against Ritesh Tandon, an Indian Republican opponent. He received about 70 percent of the vote, while his opponent barely managed 30 percent. His first election, held in 2014, was unsuccessful. However, he subsequently won elections in 2016, 2019, and 2020.
Raja Krishnamoorthi
In 1973, Raja Krishnamoorthi and his family migrated to the United States from Delhi. Since 2017, he has served as a congressman representing Illinois. During the election campaign, Muslim extremists accused the 49-year-old of pandering to certain propaganda. In a powerful rebuttal, he urged fellow Americans to denounce intolerance and to concentrate on everything Americans have in common.
Pramila Jayapal
Jayapal, aged 57, is the only female contender in her group. In the 7th congressional district of Washington State, she defeated the Republican candidate with a landslide of 85 percent of the votes. She shifted to the United States in 1982, when she was 16 years old, to attend college.
Shri Thanedar
The 67-year-old Indian American won his first election to the US House of Representatives from the 13th Congressional District of Michigan. He was born in Belgavi, Karnataka, and moved to the United States in 1979 to pursue a PhD. He later continued his life as an entrepreneur and businessman.
