From Ro Khanna To Vivek Ramaswamy: Indian-Origin Faces In US Midterms

As the United States heads into its November 3 midterm elections, several Indian-origin candidates are in the race for key positions, including seats in Congress, governorships and other major public offices.The US holds midterm elections halfway through the four-year term of its President. This year, all 435 seats in the US House of Representatives and 35 of the 100 seats in the Senate are up for election. The Senate elections also include special contests in Ohio and Florida.Indian-origin candidates are contesting from states such as California, Washington, Virginia, Arizona, Florida, Texas, Ohio, New York and Maryland.Among the well-known names are Democratic lawmakers Ro Khanna, Pramila Jayapal, Ami Bera and Suhas Subramanyam, who are seeking re-election to Congress. Republican Vivek Ramaswamy is contesting the Ohio Governor election.Here is a look at the Indian-origin candidates contesting the 2026 US midterm elections and their backgrounds.Ro KhannaDemocratic Congressman Ro Khanna is seeking another term in the US House of Representatives. He is contesting from California's 17th Congressional District, which includes parts of Silicon Valley.Photo Credit: Khanna.house.govKhanna belongs to the progressive section of the Democratic Party. He was born in Philadelphia to Punjabi parents and is a second-generation immigrant. His grandfather, Amarnath Vidyalankar, was a freedom fighter who was imprisoned alongside Mahatma Gandhi. Khanna has often criticised US President Donald Trump's policies. He has described Trump's policies as "utterly destructive" and called him a "lame duck". He has also said that Democrats will win the 2026 midterm elections and the 2028 presidential election.Vivek RamaswamyRepublican Vivek Ramaswamy, son of Kerala immigrants, is contesting the Ohio Governor election. He received the backing of US President Donald Trump and won the Republican primary in May 2026. He is now the party's nominee for the November election.Ramaswamy earlier served as a co-chair of the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE). He also entered the 2024 US presidential race but later withdrew his candidature and supported Trump. According to Forbes, his estimated net worth is $2.5 billion.Pramila JayapalPramila Jayapal is another Democratic lawmaker seeking re-election to the US House of Representatives. She is contesting from Washington's 7th Congressional District. She has represented the constituency since 2017 and is the first Indian-American woman elected to the US House of Representatives.Photo Credit: AFPJayapal, whose family roots are in Kerala, recently spoke about the reports of 13 crore names being removed from India's draft electoral rolls. She also compared the situation in India with attempts in the United States to weaken voting rights. India, however, rejected her comments on the Election Commission's revision of electoral rolls.Ami BeraDemocratic Congressman Ami Bera is also looking to retain his seat in the US House of Representatives. He is contesting from California's 3rd Congressional District. He was born in the United States to Gujarati parents who migrated from Rajkot and became the third Indian-American to be elected to the US Congress.Photo Credit: AFPBera served as co-chair of the Congressional Caucus on India and Indian Americans during the 114th Congress, from January 2015 to January 2017.Suhas SubramanyamDemocratic Congressman Suhas Subramanyam is seeking re-election after making history in 2024. He became the first Indian-American to be elected to Congress from Virginia and the East Coast. His mother is from Bengaluru, while his father is from Chennai. He has described India as one of the most important democracies in the world.Saritha KomatireddyRepublican Saritha Komatireddy is contesting for the post of New York Attorney General. She is the Republican Party's nominee for the position. She spent more than a decade working on cases involving members of Al Qaeda, ISIS and Mexican drug cartels. Photo Credit: AFPKomatireddy held several senior positions in the district. These included Chief of International Narcotics and Money Laundering, Deputy Chief of Appeals and Deputy Chief of General Crimes in the National Security and Cybercrime Section.Nithya RamanNithya Raman, an urban planner and member of the Los Angeles City Council, is contesting the Los Angeles mayoral election. She served as co-chair of the Silver Lake Neighborhood Council's Homelessness Committee. She also co-founded the SELAH Neighbourhood Homeless Coalition.Raman was elected to the Los Angeles City Council in 2020 and became the first Asian-American woman and the first South Asian to be elected to the council. She won a second term in March 2024. She currently chairs the Civil Rights, Immigration, Social Services and Neighbourhoods Committee. Pooja SethiPooja Sethi is contesting the Texas House District 47 election as a Democratic candidate. An attorney by profession, Sethi has previously worked as the chief of staff in the Texas Legislature.Photo Credit: AFPShe has also served as the chair of the Travis County Democratic Party.Sandeep SrivastavaDemocratic candidate Sandeep Srivastava is contesting from Texas House District 66. He is a businessman and community advocate who has been living in the Plano-Frisco area for several years. He is challenging a Republican candidate who has represented the constituency for five terms.Pia DandiyaPia Dandiya, a former high school principal, is contesting the US House of Representatives election from Florida's 22nd Congressional District. She is the Democratic candidate and is facing Republican Casey Askar. Dandiya is a first-generation American. Amish ShahPhysician and former State Representative Amish Shah is the Democratic candidate from Arizona's 1st Congressional District. He is contesting against Republican Jay Feely, a former National Football League kicker who has received an endorsement from President Donald Trump.Photo Credit: AFPShah previously served three terms in the Arizona House of Representatives. He also contested the 2024 congressional election but narrowly lost to Republican David Schweikert.