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From Los Angeles to Texas, Indian Americans Seek Political Firsts

Candidates across five US states are seeking historic breakthroughs, from a potential first Indian-American mayor of Los Angeles to a first Hindu member of the Texas Legislature.reports Asian Lite News Desk Indian-AmericancandidatesareseekinghistoricbreakthroughsintheNovember3elections,withcontestsspanningLosAngeles,Texas,Georgia,NewYorkandMaryland.FromLosAngelesCityCouncilmemberNithyaRamansbidtobecomethecitysfirstIndian-AmericanmayortoPoojaSethiscampaignforaseatintheTexasLegislature,severalcandidatesarepursuingmilestonesinAmericanpoliticalrepresentation. ApollpublishedonFridayputRamanaheadofincumbentLosAngelesMayorKarenBass,addingfreshattentiontothenonpartisanmayoralcontest.TheManhattanInstitutepolloflikelyvotersplacedRamanat38percentandBassat32percent,withamarginoferrorof4.6percentagepoints,accordingtoPoliticalWire. IntheJune2primary,Basssecured34.3percentofthevote,comparedwithRamans29percent.ThetwocandidatesarescheduledtomeetfortheirfinaldebateonTuesday. Raman,amemberoftheLosAngelesCityCouncil,hasmadehousingandneighbourhooddevelopmentcentraltohercampaign. ImrunningformayorbecauseIdontwanttoignoreanypartofthiscity,RamansaidatamayoralforumonSeptember29. WeneedtobuildmorehousinginLosAngeles,butweneedtobuilditacrosseverysingleneighborhood,sheadded. InAustin,DemocratPoojaSethiiscontestingtheopenTexasHouseDistrict47seatagainstRepublicanJenniferMushtaler.Sethiwonherpartysprimarywithabout76percentofthevote. AnimmigrationlawyerandchairoftheTravisCountyDemocraticParty,SethiwouldbecomethefirstIndianAmericanandthefirstHinduelectedtotheTexasLegislatureifshewins. SheattractedattentionearlierthisyearafterrespondingonXtoTurningPointcommentatorSavanahHernandez. Myheritageisntaninsult.Itsmystory.AndlikemillionsofAmericans,itsrootedinhardwork,faithinthiscountry,andservicetoourcommunity.Ifthatbothersyou,thatsaysmoreaboutyouthanitdoesaboutme,Sethiwrote. InGeorgia,DemocratJyotSinghisrunningforHouseDistrict97inGwinnettCountyagainstRepublicanYassinMoghazy.SinghwontheMay19primarywith59.1percentofthevote. AYalegraduateendorsedbyCongressmanRoKhanna,SinghwouldbecomeGeorgiasfirstSikhelectedofficial,accordingtohiscampaignandcommunitymediacoverage. InNewYork,RepublicanSarithaKomatireddyischallengingDemocraticAttorneyGeneralLetitiaJames.KomatireddyisthefirstSouthAsianmajor-partynomineeforstatewideofficeinNewYork. BorninBrooklyntoparentswhocamefromIndiainthe1980s,shepreviouslyservedasaclerktoSupremeCourtJusticeBrettKavanaughandasafederalterrorismprosecutor.PresidentDonaldTrumpendorsedherinAugust. Youcanworkhard,dreambig,andhaveashotatachievingthosedreams,KomatireddytoldNY1inAugust,speakingaboutherparents. ASienapollconductedfromSeptember11to17placedJamesat52percentandKomatireddyat39percent.Thegaphadnarrowedfroman18-pointleadforJamesinAugust. InMaryland,DemocratAmarMukundaispoisedtosecureastateSenateseatafterdefeatingSenateMajorityLeaderNancyKingintheJuneprimaryforDistrict39inMontgomeryCounty.NoRepublicanfiledfortheseat. Mukundawon48.6percentofthevote,comparedwithKings36.1percent.WithnoRepublicancandidateintherace,heisallbutassuredofwinningtheseat,accordingtothesuppliedreport. Mukunda,whoseparentsarefromIndiaandPakistan,wouldbecomeMarylandsfirstSouthAsianstatesenator,accordingtoacampaign-sourcedreportinTheSentinel. Thiscampaignwasnotaboutme,norwasitaboutSenatorKingsdedicationandservicetoourcommunity.Itwasamovementofpeoplewillingtosaytheobvious:ourpoliticsarestuck,thewaywedothingshastochange,andAnnapolismustdeliverbetterresults,Mukundasaidinastatement. AlsoinMaryland,Hyderabad-bornLieutenantGovernorArunaMillerisseekingasecondtermonGovernorWesMooresticket. ThecandidatescampaignsfollowothermilestonesinIndian-Americanpoliticalrepresentation.ZohranMamdanibecameNewYorkCitysfirstIndian-Americanmayorlastyear,whileBobbyJindalandNikkiHaleywerethefirsttwoIndian-Americangovernors. IndianAmericanImpactcountsmorethan250IndianAmericansholdingelectedofficeacrossthecountry. KumarBarve,aMarylandDemocrat,becamethefirstIndianAmericanelectedtoastatelegislaturein1990,whenhewonaseatintheMarylandHouseofDelegates.

11 Oct 2026 11:01 am