Washington: Several Indian-Americans have made a strong showing in the US midterm elections, with five winning seats in the House of Representatives so far and Maryland Lieutenant Governor Aruna Miller securing another term.
The results of several other Indian-American candidates contesting elections to the US Congress, state legislatures and local offices were still awaited.
Here are profiles of the Indian-American winners so far.
Ami Bera
Democratic lawmaker Ami Bera, 61, has won re-election to the US House of Representatives from California’s 3rd Congressional District, defeating Republican Robb Tucker.
Physician-turned-politician Amerish Babulal Ami Bera has won an eighth term in the House. He was first elected to Congress in 2012 and took office in January 2013.
Bera was born in Los Angeles to Gujarati immigrant parents. He earned a bachelor’s degree in biological sciences and a Doctor of Medicine degree from the University of California, Irvine.
Before entering Congress, he served as chief medical officer for Sacramento County from 1999 to 2004 and held an academic position at the UC Davis School of Medicine.
Bera serves on the House Foreign Affairs Committee as ranking member of its Subcommittee on East Asia and the Pacific.
He is also a member of the House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence. His legislative work has included healthcare, US-India relations and foreign policy.
Suhas Subramanyam
Democratic Congressman Suhas Subramanyam, 40, has won a second term in the US House of Representatives, retaining Virginia’s 10th Congressional District by defeating Republican Dave Beckwith.
Born in Houston, Texas, Subramanyam is a lawyer and entrepreneur who has worked with technology startups and founded his own business. He previously served as a technology policy adviser at the White House during former president Barack Obama’s administration.
Before entering Congress, Subramanyam served in the Virginia House of Delegates from 2019 to 2023 and the state Senate from 2023 to 2024.
He holds a bachelor’s degree from Tulane University and a law degree from Northwestern University’s Pritzker School of Law.
He lives in Loudoun County, Virginia, with his wife, Miranda Pena Subramanyam, and their two daughters. He has also served as a volunteer firefighter and emergency medical technician in his community.
Ro Khanna
Democratic Congressman Ro Khanna, 50, has won re-election from California’s 17th Congressional District, which covers the heart of Silicon Valley.
Born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, Khanna is the son of Indian immigrants. His father worked as a chemical engineer, while his mother was a substitute teacher’s assistant for children with special needs.
According to his campaign website, Khanna’s grandfather, Amarnath Vidyalanker, was involved in India’s freedom movement and spent four years in jail for opposing British colonial rule.
Khanna is a vice chair of the Congressional Progressive Caucus. He also co-chaired Bernie Sanders’ 2020 presidential campaign.
He has worked with Republican Congressman Thomas Massie to press for the release of files related to convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein.
Khanna and his wife, Ritu, have two children.
Pramila Jayapal
Democratic Congresswoman Pramila Jayapal has won re-election from Washington’s 7th Congressional District, which includes most of Seattle and surrounding areas.
Born in Chennai in 1965, Jayapal moved to the United States at the age of 16 to attend Georgetown University. She later earned an MBA from Northwestern University.
Before entering politics, she worked in international public health and development and founded OneAmerica, an immigrant advocacy organisation in Washington state.
First elected to the House in 2016, Jayapal is the first South Asian-American woman to serve in the US House of Representatives. She is a former chair and chair emerita of the Congressional Progressive Caucus.
She serves on the House Judiciary, Foreign Affairs and Budget committees and has been a prominent voice on immigration, healthcare and economic inequality.
Pia Dandiya
Democrat Pia Dandiya has won election to the US House of Representatives from Florida’s 22nd Congressional District, defeating Republican Casey Askar.
A former teacher and high school principal, Dandiya was born and raised in Palm Beach County to parents who immigrated from India.
She will be among the newest Indian-American members of Congress when the new House convenes in January.
Dandiya began her career as a teacher and later became a high school principal in Harlem, New York. She also served as a White House Fellow and worked at technology company Apple.
According to her campaign website, she founded a high school aimed at helping students from low-income backgrounds access opportunities for higher education and economic mobility.
Aruna Miller
Democrat Aruna Miller, 61, has won re-election as Maryland’s lieutenant governor, alongside Governor Wes Moore.
Born in Andhra Pradesh, India, Miller immigrated to the United States with her family at the age of seven. She holds a bachelor’s degree in civil engineering from the Missouri University of Science and Technology.
Before entering politics, she worked for 25 years as a civil and transportation engineer in Montgomery County’s Department of Transportation, focusing on road safety and improving access to public transport.
Miller represented District 15 in the Maryland House of Delegates from 2010 to 2018.
She is the second woman to serve as Maryland’s lieutenant governor and the first woman of colour and immigrant to be elected to statewide office in the state.
