Indian-American Candidates Secure Key Victories in 2026 U.S. Midterm Elections

Indian-American candidates secured multiple victories in the 2026 U.S. midterm elections, with Democrat Pia Dandiya winning a seat in the House of Representatives and incumbent Suhas Subramanyam winning re-election in Virginia.

Dandiya defeated Republican Casey Askar in Florida’s 22nd Congressional District, capturing approximately 52 percent of the vote, according to results reported on Wednesday.

In Virginia, Subramanyam retained his seat in the 10th Congressional District by defeating Republican Dave Beckwith with 63.16 percent of the vote.

These results carry significance for the political influence of Indian-American lawmakers, a group informally known as the Samosa Caucus that faced potential membership losses this cycle.

"Florida’s 22nd District was one of the most competitive districts for Democrats, and Pia just turned it blue," said Chintan Patel, the executive director of Indian American Impact.

Dandiya, a former high school principal and first-generation American, campaigned on issues including education and economic opportunity in a district redrawn before the 2026 midterms.

Subramanyam, the first Indian-American to represent Virginia's 10th District, emphasized the importance of civic participation during his campaign.

"The campaign is over, but the work is just beginning. I look forward to working with our community to deliver change in Washington," said Subramanyam in a statement.

Other incumbents also secured victories, with California Democrat Ro Khanna winning re-election and Pramila Jayapal projected to retain her seat in Washington state.

The caucus previously faced setbacks after Representative Raja Krishnamoorthi lost a Senate primary in Illinois and Representative Shri Thanedar lost his primary in Michigan.

The final composition of the group remains subject to ongoing vote counts, including the race in Arizona where physician Amish Shah holds a lead.