US Elections

India-West Staff Reporter DALLAS, TX - Surrounded by bales of hay and dressed in the look of a Central Texas rancher, Abhiram Garapati often presents himself less like a conventional politician and more like a cowboy rooted in the land. On

India-West News Desk CHICAGO, IL - Raja Krishnamoorthi entered the Chicago Democratic Senate debate as the clear frontrunner and quickly became the central target, attacked both outside the venue and on stage as rivals sought to chip away at his commanding

India-West Staff Reporter BRUNSWICK, ME - The campaign of Dr. Nirav Shah says it has collected more than 3,000 petition signatures to qualify for the Democratic primary ballot in Maine’s 2026 gubernatorial race, surpassing the 2,000 signatures required under state law. According

BAKERSFIELD, CA — Navraj Rai, a 32-year-old attorney, has been sworn in as the first Sikh judge pro tempore in Kern County history. A judge pro tem is a private attorney appointed by the court to preside over specific cases, a

FREMONT, CA - Democratic congressional candidate Rakhi Israni has reported raising more than $1 million within the first 24 hours of launching her campaign for California’s 14th Congressional District, an early fundraising surge that her campaign says positions her competitively in one of the nation’s most expensive media markets. The campaign said it

FREMONT, CA - Attorney and educator Rakhi Israni on January 20 announced her campaign for California’s 14th Congressional District, entering the race with a message centered on rising costs, political division, and the need for reform-focused leadership. Israni announced her campaign

Photo: Mamta Singh being sworn into office on the Bhagavad Gita and in Indian attire. India-West Staff Reporter JERSEY CITY, NJ - Mamta Singh on January 15 was sworn in as Jersey City’s Councilwoman-at-Large, taking her oath of office on the Bhagavad Gita during a public inauguration

India-West News Desk RICHMOND, VA - Ghazala Hashmi was sworn in on January 17 as Virginia’s 43rd lieutenant governor, making history as the first Muslim woman and first South Asian American elected to statewide office in the Commonwealth. The ceremony marked

India-West Staff Reporter AUGUSTA, ME — The Indian American Impact Fund has endorsed Nirav Shah in his campaign for governor of Maine, backing a candidate who would make history, if elected, as the state’s first South Asian and first person of

India-West Staff Reporter ASHBURN, VA - Former Representative Jennifer Wexton and U.S. Senators Mark Warner and Tim Kaine have endorsed U.S. Representative Suhas Subramanyam for reelection in Virginia’s 10th Congressional District, offering a unified show of support from the state’s top

India-West News Desk CHICAGO, IL - Rep. Raja Krishnamoorthi has opened a commanding lead in the Illinois Democratic primary to succeed retiring Senator Dick Durbin, according to new polling that shows him well ahead of the rest of the field. An Emerson

India-West News Desk CINCINNATI, OH — GOP front runner Vivek Ramaswamy’s campaign is sharpening its case about governing Ohio, and it is leaning heavily on his choice of running mate to make that argument as a key endorsement now falls into

Photo: Instagram India-West News Desk NEW YORK, NY - Anant Nambiar took the oath of office on January 1 as the County Legislator for District 7, becoming the first South Asian and the first Hindu to serve on the Westchester County Board

India-West Staff Reporter BRUNSWICK, ME - Former Maine CDC Director Nirav Shah has emerged as the early frontrunner in the Democratic primary for governor, pairing a first-place poll ranking with a $510,000 opening fundraising haul. A new Pan Atlantic Research poll, conducted

EDISON, NJ -Sujit Singh, a technology professional and community advocate who narrowly lost a mayoral race last year, is seeking the Democratic nomination for New Jersey’s 12th Congressional District, centering his campaign on human services, inclusion, and grassroots politics. “For several

India-West Staff Reporter WESTFIELD, NJ -Democratic congressional candidate Dr. Tina Shah has raised $1 million over the past two reporting quarters in her bid to represent New Jersey’s 7th Congressional District, according to figures released by her campaign on January 6. The fundraising haul

EDISON, NJ - John Bartlett, a county commissioner and voting rights attorney running in the special election to represent New Jersey’s 11th Congressional District, is making a direct appeal to Indian American voters, describing himself as both personally connected to

India-West News Desk EDISON, NJ - Edison Mayor Sam Joshi highlighted the scale and significance of his inauguration in a Facebook post, thanking residents for turning out in large numbers as he began his second term in office. “Incredibly grateful to

CINCINNATI, OH - Republican gubernatorial candidate Vivek Ramaswamy raised $9.88 million during the second half of 2025, his campaign said, setting a fundraising record for an Ohio governor’s race. The campaign said the July–December haul surpassed the $9.7 million raised in the first

WASHINGTON, DC - Silicon Valley investor Asha Jadeja Motwani has emerged as one of the largest diaspora contributors in the current US election cycle, donating more than $5 million to the pro-Trump super PAC MAGA Inc., according to federal campaign

PARSIPPANY, NJ - Pulkit Desai, a US Marine veteran and technology professional, has been sworn in as mayor of Parsippany, becoming the township’s first Indian American mayor after a razor-thin election victory. Desai, a Democrat, won the mayoral race after provisional and

NEW YORK, NY - Zohran Mamdani has taken office as New York City’s mayor following a dual swearing-in process that marked a historic moment for the city and signaled a sharp ideological shift in its leadership. Hours after delivering his inaugural

NEW YORK, NY -Zohran Mamdani brought touches of his South Asian heritage to his formal inauguration as this multicultural city’s Mayor on New Year’s Day. While acknowledging his parents during his speech, Mamdani also gave a shout-out to relatives in Delhi. He

India-West News Desk NEW YORK, NY - Americans4Hindus hosted a virtual meet and greet on December 21 with Saritha Komatireddy, a candidate for New York attorney general, as the organization steps up its political engagement ahead of the 2026 statewide race. The

India-West News Desk CINCINNATI, OH – Republican Ohio gubernatorial candidate and Trump ally Vivek Ramaswamy has pointed to a deadly antisemitic attack overseas and simmering divisions within the US conservative movement to argue that religious freedom remains a core American value. In

India-West News Desk CINCINNATI, OH - Ohio Governor Mike DeWine has not yet endorsed Vivek Ramaswamy, his fellow Republican, in the race to succeed him, saying he wants more time to understand the candidate and his positions before offering formal support. The

CHICAGO, IL- Rising living costs, immigration anxiety, job losses, and concerns over cuts to Social Security and Medicare are shaping Neil Khot’s campaign for the US House of Representatives from Illinois’ 8th Congressional District, as he mounts a grassroots Democratic bid to retain a

Photo: Instagram India-West Staff  Reporter BRUNSWICK, ME — A new statewide survey has placed former Maine CDC director Nirav Shah at the front of the Democratic primary field for governor, his campaign announced on December 10. The Pan Atlantic Research Poll, conducted from

Photo: Instagram India-West Staff  Reporter DURHAM, NC — Durham County Commissioner Nida Allam has launched a challenge against incumbent Congresswoman Valerie Foushee in North Carolina’s 4th Congressional District, opening her campaign with a slate of national progressive endorsements and a message centered

India-West Staff Reporter WEST WINDSOR, NJ - Democratic congressional candidate Jay Vaingankar on December 9 said that he had raised over $126,000 in the first 24 hours after launching his campaign for Congress in the 12th Congressional District. Contributions came from over

India-West Staff Reporter BUENA PARK, CA – Rep. Raja Krishnamoorthi (D-IL), who,according to the latest Change Research poll conducted in the first week of December, holds a commanding 28 point lead in the Illinois Democratic primary for US Senate, made a brief

DETROIT, MI - Entrepreneur Sunny Reddy was unanimously elected Co-Chair of the Michigan Republican Party. The vote, completed by unanimous consent, cements Reddy's rise as one of the most visible Indian American Republicans in the Midwest. Michigan Republican Party Chairman Jim Runestad, who introduced

Photo: Linkedin India-West Staff Reporter WEST WINDSOR, NJ - Jay Vaingankar, a 27-year-old former White House official, has launched a bid for New Jersey’s 12th Congressional District, entering a crowded Democratic field aiming to succeed retiring Congresswoman Bonnie Watson Coleman. With the

Photo: Mohammed Jaffer-Snapsindia India-West Staff Reporter JERSEY CITY, NJ - Jersey City’s runoff election delivered a historic breakthrough Tuesday night with the election of Mamta Singh as Council At Large, the first Indian American ever elected to public office in the city’s

India-West News Desk NEW YORK, NY - Zohran Mamdani grew up around filmmaking through his mother, director Mira Nair, and is known to have even spent some time on her sets. So, when a Bollywood quiz came his way, viewers expected

By Parveen Chopra NEW YORK, NY - Sharanjit Singh Thind is running for the US House of Representatives from New York’s District 18 in the Hudson Valley. A lifelong Republican born in Punjab, he believes this Democrat-held seat is ready to flip.

India-West News Desk CINCINNATI, OH - The 2026 Ohio governor’s race is shaping up as a high-stakes showdown between Democrat Dr. Amy Acton and Republican Vivek Ramaswamy, with the field narrowing after former Congressman Tim Ryan announced he will not run.

India-West News Desk LOS ANGELES, CA - Eric Swalwell chose late night television to launch his bid for California governor, using an appearance on Jimmy Kimmel’s ABC show to make his intentions public. Sitting across from the host on November 20

India-West News Desk SACRAMENTO, CA - Billionaire and environmental activist Tom Steyer announced on November 19 that he will run for California governor, immediately joining a crowded field of candidates vying to replace the term limited Gavin Newsom. Steyer, 68, is a

Photo: Instagram India-West News Desk LOS ANGELES, CA -Voting-rights attorney Anuj Dixit has ended his campaign for California’s 48th Congressional District, saying that the redistricting changes triggered by Proposition 50 have fundamentally reshaped the race. In a statement released on November 19, Dixit said the ballot measure

Photo: @GeneforTexas SACRAMENTO, CA -The administration of US President Donald Trump on November 13, moved to block California's new congressional map by suing the state and joining a Republican lawsuit against Prop 50, a voter-approved measure that could shift several US House

India-West News Desk NEW YORK, NY - New York City’s incoming administration is drawing significant attention from job seekers and donors alike. More than 50,000 people have applied to work for Mayor-elect Zohran Mamdani’s team through the transition’s resume portal, signaling

India-West Staff Reporter MILWAUKEE, WI — A day after Zohran Mamdani was elected the 111th mayor of New York City — becoming the city’s first Muslim and first Asian American to hold the office — the National Bobblehead Hall of Fame and

PICTURE CREDIT-Swaranjit Singh Khalsa, Instagram India-West News Desk NORWICH, CT — Swaranjit Singh Khalsa made history November 4 as he became the first Sikh elected mayor in Connecticut. In a city where only about 10 Sikh families reside, Khalsa’s election was powered by

India-West News Desk NEW YORK, NY — In a move that underscores his progressive vision for City Hall, New York Mayor-elect Zohran Mamdani has tapped former Federal Trade Commission Chair Lina Khan to co-lead his all-women transition team. Mamdani announced the appointment

Photo (Left to Right): J J Singh, Ravi Bhalla, Balvir Singh India-West News Desk WASHINGTON, DC - Two Indian American state legislators coasted to re-election on November 4, while another secured a seat in the New Jersey Assembly — all Democrats riding

Photo: X India-West News Desk CINCINNATI, OH — Democratic wins across New York City, New Jersey, and Virginia triggered a candid acknowledgment from Republican leader and Ohio gubernatorial contender Vivek Ramaswamy, who admitted the GOP “got our a**es handed to us.” Speaking in the

Photo: Facebook India-West Staff Reporter ELK GROVE, CA— U.S. Representative Ami Bera announced his decision to seek election in California’s newly configured 3rd Congressional District following the successful passage of Proposition 50. He belongs to the centrist New Democrat Coalition. The move instantly

Photo: YouTube screengrab India-West News Desk NEW YORK, NY — As the Bollywood anthem “Dhoom Machale” filled the air, Zohran Mamdani stood hand in hand with his wife, Rama Duwaji, on stage, smiling toward a crowd that roared his name. A few

India-West News Desk NEW YORK, NY — In his first press conference on November 5  after his historic victory the night before, Mayor-elect Zohran Mamdani faced questions about how he plans to balance his progressive agenda with the looming threat of