Dems woo Indian-Americans for key state elections

Almost a year after Donald Trump won substantial support from Indian-Americans in the lead up to his victory, America's opposition Democratic Party is making a concerted effort to win the community's support ahead of two key state elections in New Jersey and Virginia.

- Shashank Mattoo

A number of key Democrat politicians and operatives in both states spoke to HT and outlined an outreach campaign which has focused on affordability, the impact of Trump’s tariffs on Indian-American businesses and Trump's mishandling of the relationship with India.

“Our candidates are going to Diwali events, garbas, navratri pujas and community events with Indian-American voters. We're supporting a slate of local candidates of Indian origin as well. We want the community to feel seen and heard,” said Harini Krishnan, who is National Organising Chair for South Asians for America.

On November 4, voters in New Jersey and Virginia will elect their new governors and state assemblies, and the Democratic Party is keen to wrest political momentum back from Trump ahead of next year's crucial midterm elections. Both states have a large Indian-American community.

According to AAPI data, Indian-Americans are the largest Asian-origin diaspora in the US. New Jersey is home to roughly 440,000 Indians (4.7% of the state's population), while 170,000 Indians reside in Virginia (2% of its population). Indian-Americans also turn out to vote at higher percentages than any other Asian-origin group, which makes them an influential and important target for the party.