Washington. Indian-American candidates have performed well in the initial results of America's midterm elections. Suhas Subramaniam and Aruna Miller of the Democratic Party were successful in retaining their seats, while Piya Dandiya created history by winning. Subramaniam (40) was once again elected member of the US House of Representatives from Virginia on Tuesday. At the same time, Miller (61) was successful in regaining the post of Lieutenant Governor of Maryland. Apart from this, Dandiya (39) won from Florida's 22nd congressional district.
Suhas Subramaniam and Aruna Miller repeated victory
Suhas Subramaniam, who was an advisor to former US President Barack Obama, has once again been elected as a member of the US House of Representatives. On Tuesday, at 6 am local time, voting took place for all 435 seats of the US House of Representatives, 37 seats of the Senate, governor posts in 36 states and many local bodies. Subramaniam won from Virginia's 10th parliamentary constituency. He received more than 61.5 percent of the vote, while his Republican opponent Dave Beckwith received 36.4 percent. Subramaniam has also worked as a policy advisor in the US government. During this time, he worked to expand and improve access to health services for millions of Americans.
Piya Dandiya registered victory in Florida
Indian-origin American citizen Pia Dandiya has also made it to the House of Representatives by winning the election from the 22nd parliamentary constituency of Florida. He defeated former naval officer KC Askar. According to the results declared on Tuesday, Dandiya, a former high-school principal, got 51.9 percent of the votes. With this she became the newest Indian-origin member of the US Congress. Meanwhile, Democratic Party's J.B. Pritzker won the election for governor of Illinois. He defeated Republican candidate Darren Bailey. Pritzker, a billionaire businessman and heir to the fortunes of the Hyatt Hotel Group, is being seen as a possible contender for the presidential election in 2028.
Shock to Vivek Ramaswamy, Amy Acton defeated
On the other hand, Republican candidate Vivek Ramaswamy is lagging behind in the election for the post of Governor of Ohio. These very important mid-term elections held in America are being seen in early surveys as a sign of public displeasure towards President Donald Trump and desire for change. Election results of other Indian-origin American candidates are awaited and counting of votes is underway. Shelley Capito, the Republican candidate from West Virginia, and Wesley Bell, the Democratic candidate from Missouri's 1st congressional district, have won re-election.
The Democratic Party has snatched a Senate seat in North Carolina from the Republican Party. The party also won in Georgia and New Hampshire on Tuesday. Former North Carolina Governor Roy Cooper defeated Republican nominee Michael Watley. On Tuesday, at 6 am local time, voting took place for all 435 seats of the US House of Representatives, 37 seats of the Senate, 36 provincial governor posts and many local bodies. According to CNN's initial poll, voters appeared dissatisfied with the current state of the country, the economy and Trump's performance as President. Trump remained present with his advisors throughout the day at the 'White House' (the official residence and office of the US President) amid a large number of voters standing in queues at the polling stations.
Democrats won important seats in the Senate
He supported Republican candidates by sharing several messages on 'X' on Tuesday afternoon. Hakeem Jeffries, leader of the Democratic Party in the House of Representatives, while addressing the election campaign workers in Washington via phone, said that his party is standing on the cusp of change and is going to regain majority in the lower house. He said, “We are going to give a Parliament that will actually prioritize the interests of the American people.” On the day of voting, Trump surprised everyone by suddenly announcing that four billion dollars of aid to Israel would be stopped from next year.
Voters appeared angry with Trump's performance and economy
Democratic Congressman Ro Khanna called it a desperate attempt to stop the Democratic Party's wave. These elections will decide whether President Trump's Republican Party is able to maintain its control in both houses of the US Parliament or the Democratic Party, if not the Senate, at least gains majority in the House of Representatives and curbs Trump's decisions in the last two years of his second term. Democratic Party candidate Nitya Raman, born in Keralam, India, is giving a tough challenge to her former boss Karen Bass in the election for the post of Mayor of Los Angeles.
Keeping an eye on the results of many Indian origin candidates
Indian-American lawmakers Ro Khanna, Ami Bera and Pramila Jayapal are also seeking re-election, while Democratic candidate Amish Shah is contesting to reach the House of Representatives for the first time. If pre-election projections prove correct and the Democratic Party gains control of the US Parliament, tight parliamentary oversight over the functioning of the Trump administration will be possible. This may deal a blow to the President's policy agenda. However, he will continue to have the authority to rule through executive orders for the next two years.
Democrats won important seats in the Senate
Early results of the US midterm elections showed Democrats scoring three early victories in the upper house, giving the party a strong start as Republicans try to save their majority. According to CBS News report, 35 Senate seats are up for election in the midterm elections. Republicans currently have a 53-47 majority and Democrats need four seats to gain the majority. According to CBS News, the biggest victory came in North Carolina where former Governor Roy Cooper (69) defeated Republican Michael Whatley. This victory is a big change for the Democrats. Republican Sen. Thom Tillis decided not to seek re-election, leaving the seat vacant.
North Carolina has not sent a Democrat to the Senate since 2008. Cooper served two terms as governor and is the longest-serving Attorney General in state history. He ran the election on a simple message: “Lower the price of things.” Whatley, the former chairman of the Republican National Committee, had never held office before. He had participated in this election with the support and enthusiasm of President Donald Trump. In New Hampshire, Democratic representative Chris Pappas (46) defeated former Republican senator John Sununu. Pappas has served in the House of Representatives since 2019 and has presented himself as an independent voice for the state. He would become the first openly gay man elected to the Senate.
Sununu conceded defeat in Manchester and told supporters, “This is not our night.” He said he called Pappas to congratulate him and praise the voters. Georgia was the Democratic Party's third victory, according to US media reports, although details were not immediately available. Republicans held one seat in Florida, where Senator Ashley Moody won a special election. Results matter to President Trump. Republican control of both the upper house and the House of Representatives has helped him advance his agenda in the first two years of his term. Tuesday's results will help decide whether that continues. More results are expected once elections are over across the country.
President Donald Trump announced on election day that America would end approximately $4 billion worth of military aid to Israel annually. The move could mark a major shift in the long-standing US-Israel relationship and highlight growing divisions in US politics over support for the Jewish state. Trump made the announcement in an interview with Fox News on Election Day. However, he provided little information on how or when the aid would be phased out, leaving uncertainty over the scope and impact of the proposed move.