SIX Indian Americans have been elected to the US House of Representatives, bringing their total representation in Congress to six, up from five in the current term.
Indian-American lawyer Suhas Subramanyam made history as the first Indian American elected to represent Virginia and the entire East Coast in the House. Subramanyam, currently a state senator in Virginia, defeated Republican candidate Mike Clancy.
There is potential for this number to increase to seven, as Dr Amish Shah holds a narrow lead over his Republican opponent in Arizona's first Congressional District.
"I am honoured and humbled that the people of Virginia's 10th District put their trust in me to take on the toughest fights and deliver results in Congress. This district is my home. I got married here, my wife Miranda and I are raising our daughters here, and the issues our community faces are personal to our family. It is an honour to continue serving this district in Washington," Subramanyam said.
Subramanyam, a Hindu and former White House advisor to president Barack Obama, is widely known and respected among Indian Americans nationwide. With this victory, he joins the 'Samosa Caucus,' currently comprising five Indian American members: Ami Bera, Raja Krishnamoorthi, Ro Khanna, Pramila Jayapal, and Shri Thanedar.
Each of the five existing Indian American members retained their seats in the House. Shri Thanedar won re-election in Michigan’s 13th Congressional District, marking his second term after first winning the seat in 2023. Raja Krishnamoorthi was re-elected to represent Illinois’ 8th Congressional District for a fifth consecutive term.
Expressing gratitude, Krishnamoorthi said, "While the battles for control of the White House and Congress remain close, I am honoured that the people of Illinois' 8th District have extended my contract to represent them in Congress."
"My parents came to this country with little more than a dream for their family's future and the faith that they could achieve it here in America," he added. "Despite some hard times, we did. My mission in Congress is to fight for all the other families that are pursuing their dreams, no matter where they come from, how they worship, or the number of letters in their names... there are 29 in mine."
Ro Khanna, representing California's 17th District, and Congresswoman Pramila Jayapal, representing Washington's 7th District, also retained their seats. Dr Ami Bera, the senior-most Indian American Congressman and a physician, was re-elected for the seventh consecutive term to represent California's 6th District.
In Arizona, Democratic candidate Dr Amish Shah has a slim lead over Republican incumbent David Schweikert, with Shah receiving 132,712 votes to Schweikert's 128,606 as 63 per cent of the votes have been counted.
(With inputs from PTI)
