Indian-Americans in US Midterms 2026: Pia Dandiya Wins, Ramaswamy Loses Ohio; What It Means for India

Pune, 5th November 2026: Indian-American candidates had a strong night in the 2026 US midterms, led by Pia Dandiya’s win in Florida. The biggest loss belonged to Vivek Ramaswamy, who was defeated in the Ohio governor’s race. Back home, Indian markets rose on hopes that a Democratic Congress will help end the Iran war and cool oil prices.

Indian-Americans who won

• Pia Dandiya (Democrat), US House, Florida’s 22nd district: Beat Republican Casey Askar by about 52% to 48% in a newly redrawn seat. A former high-school principal, she becomes the first Indian-American to represent Florida in the House, according to The American Bazaar.
• Ro Khanna (Democrat), California’s 17th district: Re-elected over Republican Ritesh Tandon, also of Indian origin. His district covers part of Silicon Valley.
• Pramila Jayapal (Democrat), Washington’s 7th district: Re-elected for a sixth term with about 87.5% against Republican Nirav Sheth.
• Ami Bera (Democrat), California’s 3rd district: Re-elected. First elected in 2012, he is the longest-serving Indian-American in the House.
• Suhas Subramanyam (Democrat), Virginia’s 10th district: Re-elected with about 63%, according to Business Today.
• Aruna Miller (Democrat), Lieutenant Governor of Maryland: Re-elected with Governor Wes Moore; their ticket won about 62.6% of the vote.
• Nabeela Syed (Democrat), Illinois State Senate: Flipped a Republican-held seat, 57% to 43%.

Indian-Americans who lost

• Vivek Ramaswamy (Republican), Ohio governor: Lost to Democrat Amy Acton. The entrepreneur and former presidential candidate had been one of the best-known Indian-American faces in Republican politics.
• Saritha Komatireddy (Republican), New York Attorney General: Lost to Democrat Letitia James.
• Mahesh Ganorkar (Republican), North Carolina’s 4th district: Lost to Democrat Valerie Foushee, about 79% to 19%.

Still counting

Nithya Raman, Los Angeles mayor: The Kerala-born city councillor led Mayor Karen Bass 51.1% to 48.9% on Wednesday, with about 440,000 ballots left. Our too-close-to-call tracker has the latest.

How Indian markets reacted

Indian shares rose on Wednesday, 4 November, as investors bet that a Democratic Congress would push for an end to the conflict in West Asia, Business Standard reported.

• Nifty 50: touched 23,960.60, up 0.63% intraday, a two-month high.
• Sensex: closed about 0.5% higher.
• Foreign investors: net buyers of ₹7,284 crore, the most in a year.
• Rupee: around 94.6 to the dollar, a two-week high.
• Brent crude: about $102.50 a barrel, down from near $118 the week before.
• Nifty IT: down 1.5%, tracking a fall in Asian technology shares.

Independent analyst Ambareesh Baliga cautioned that “Trump’s reaction is more important than the poll outcome.” Siddhartha Khemka of Motilal Oswal said investors would now watch Washington’s next steps on West Asia, since they could move crude prices sharply.

What it means for India, point by point

• Oil and inflation: India imports most of its crude. If Congress presses for a deal with Iran, lower oil prices would ease petrol, diesel and LPG costs and help the rupee.
• Trade and tariffs: Congress cannot set tariffs alone, but it can hold hearings and slow the administration’s trade measures. Indian exporters will watch for any shift.
• IT and visas: Work-visa rules are made mainly by the administration. A Democratic Congress is unlikely to change H-1B policy quickly, so Pune’s IT firms and professionals should not expect immediate changes.
• Diaspora influence: With at least five Indian-Americans in the new House, the “Samosa Caucus” stays a visible voice on India-US ties.

Read the full US midterm election results and more India news.

*Market figures are for information only and are not investment advice.*

Frequently asked questions