A significant number of Indian Americans, exceeding thirty, are participating in local and state legislative elections nationwide, indicating an increasing engagement from this relatively small ethnic group in the political landscape. Congressman Raja Krishnamoorthi has been actively encouraging community members to pursue electoral positions at all levels, emphasizing the importance of representation with the adage, “If you are not at the table, you are on the menu.” California appears to have the highest concentration of Indian Americans contesting local offices, with notable figures such as Ro Khanna and Dr. Ami Bera representing the state in the House of Representatives, alongside Vice President Kamala Harris, whose heritage traces back to India. Among the candidates are Adlah Chisti for County Supervisor in District 11, Aliya Chisti for the City College Board in San Francisco, and several others vying for various city councils and the State Assembly, including Tara Sreekrishnan, who aims to represent District 26 in Silicon Valley.
With nearly 900,000 Indian American residents, California holds the title for the largest Indian American population in the United States. In Michigan, a key state in presidential elections, candidates like Dr. Ajay Raman for Oakland County Commissioner and Anil Kumar and Ranjeev Puri for the Michigan State House are making their bids. Additionally, Indian Americans are integral to Arizona’s demographic diversity, with Priya Sundareshan and Ravi Shah running for the State Senate and School Board, respectively. In Pennsylvania, candidates such as Anand Patek, Anna Thomas, and Arvind Venkat are competing for the State House, while Nikil Saval seeks a position in the State Senate.In Illinois, Anusha Thotakura is a candidate for the school board, while Nabeel Syed is contesting for a position in the State House. Should Ashwin Ramaswamy be elected, he would make history as the youngest individual to serve in the Georgia State Senate, although he has recently faced racial and hate-based attacks from his adversaries.
In Ohio, Chantel Raghu is campaigning for the role of County Commissioner, and Pavan Parikh is vying for the position of County Clerk of Courts. Meanwhile, in Virginia, Danny Avula is a candidate for the Mayor of Richmond. In New York, Jeremy Cooney and Manita Sanghvi are both running for the State Senate, while Zohran Mamdani aims to secure a seat in the State Assembly. In Texas, several Indian Americans are pursuing local offices, including Ashika Ganguly for City Council, Karthik Soora for the State Senate, Nabil Shike for County Constable, Ramesh Premkumar for City Council, Ravi Sandill for Judge, Salman Bhojani for the State House, Shekhar Sinha for the State House, Sherine Thomas for Judge, Suleman Lalani for the State House, and Sumbel Zeb for County Appraisals Court. Additionally, Manka Dhingra is running for Attorney General of Washington State, while Mona Das is a candidate for Commissioner of Public Lands.
