Six Indian Americans have won the US House of Representatives in the US Presidential Elections, up from five in the current Congress.
Indian-American lawyer Suhas Subramanyam created history by becoming the first Congressman from the community to be elected from Virginia and the entire East Coast. Subramanyan defeated Mike Clancy of the Republican Party. He is currently a Virginia State Senator.
However, the number of Indian Americans in the House of Representatives could increase to seven as Dr Amish Shah is leading by a thin margin against his Republican incumbent in the first Congressional District of Arizona.
“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.
Suhas Subramanyam, who has served as a White House Advisor to President Barack Obama, is a Hindu by faith and is popular among the diaspora community in the US.
Who Are The Existing 5 Congressmen In US?
Subramanyam joins the 'Samosa Caucus' in the Congress that comprises five Indian Americans – Ami Bera, Raja Krishnamoorthi, Ro Khanna, Pramila Jayapal and Shri Thanedar. All the five existing Indian American members have been re-elected to the House of Representatives.
- Shri Thanedar was re-elected for the second consecutive term from the 13th Congressional District of Michigan. He won the seat for the first time in 2023.
- Raja Krishnamoorthi won the seventh Congressional District of Illinois for the fifth consecutive term. 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,” Krishnamoorthi said.
- Ro Khanna represents the seventeenth Congressional District of California and was re-elected to the US House defeating Republican Anita Chen.
- Pramila Jayapal represents the seventh Congressional District of Washington State. Elected in 2016, Congresswoman Jayapal is the first South Asian American woman elected to the US House of Representatives and one of only two dozen naturalized citizens currently serving in the United States Congress.
- Dr Ami Bera is the senior-most Indian American Congressman representing the sixth Congressional District of California since 2013. He was re-elected for the seventh consecutive term.
- Dr Amish Shah from the Democratic Party was slightly ahead of his Republican Party’s incumbent David Schweikett in Arizona. He has 132,712 votes as against his rival’s 128,606 votes when 63 per cent of the votes were counted.