USA (Commonwealth Union)_ In a noteworthy display of increasing political influence, a total of at least 10 Indian-Americans, predominantly affiliated with the Democratic Party, have emerged victorious in various local and state-level elections across the United States. This success mirrors the growing political empowerment of the Indian-American community, which constitutes slightly over one percent of the US population. Following their electoral successes, all 10 winning Indian-American candidates pledged to diligently work for the betterment of their constituents.
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Notable among the winners is Ghazala Hashmi, originally from Hyderabad, who secured re-election to the Virginia State Senate for her third consecutive term, holding the distinction of being the first Indian-American woman and Muslim elected to the Virginia State legislature. Another victor, Suhas Subramanyam, was re-elected to the Virginia State Senate and had previously served two terms in the House of Delegates. He was the former technology policy advisor during the Obama administration and is also the first Hindu elected to the Virginia House.
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Kannan Srinivasan, a business leader who migrated from India in the ’90s, clinched victory in the Virginia House of Delegates, representing the India-American dominant Loudon County area. All three winners in Virginia, along with three winners from New Jersey, belong to the Democratic Party. In New Jersey, Democrats Vin Gopal and Raj Mukherji secured positions in the State Senate, while Indian-American Balvir Singh, a teacher, was re-elected to the Burlington County Board of County Commissioner.
Dr. Anita Joshi, an Indian-American physician, secured the West District seat for the Carmel City Council in Indiana. Priya Tamilarasan, an Indian-American born and raised in the United States, emerged victorious in the election for Gahanna City Attorney in Ohio. Furthermore, Arunan Arulampalam, CEO of a non-profit Land Bank of Indian origin who immigrated from Zimbabwe, won the seat as the Mayor of Hartford in Connecticut.
Additionally, Neil Makhija, a Democrat, achieved a historic win as the Montgomery County Commissioner in Pennsylvania, becoming the first-ever Indian American or AAPI to serve on a county’s board of commissioners in the Commonwealth’s 342-year history. Neil Makhija, as the newly elected Montgomery County Commissioner in Pennsylvania, will manage a substantial budget of USD 1 billion and 3,000 employees, encompassing elections, courts, the district attorney’s office, public health departments, and public infrastructure. Upon winning, she stated, “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”.
