Opinion: How Indian Americans - Just 1% Of US Population - Are Gaining Political Clout

The roughly 2.1 million Indian American voters are just a small section of the 161 million-plus-strong US electorate. Even then, they have emerged as a notable force in the country's politics. With one of their own, Kamala Harris, on the Presidential ballot, the deeply aspirational community is charged up. Having established themselves as an educated and affluent group, they understand that having their voice heard in the corridors of power is crucial. And their importance is growing not just as voters but also as candidates, mobilisers and fundraisers.

Unprecedented Fundraising

Political fundraisers are 'witnessing a remarkable surge' in terms of participation from Indian Americans. Ajay Bhutoria, a member of the Democratic National Finance Committee and fundraiser for over two decades, says, "More than ever, people are stepping up, contributing larger sums, and actively engaging in the political process." 

The $145,000 median income of Indian American households is 21% higher than the overall US median. Shekar Narasimhan, founder and chairman of the AAPI Victory Fund, the largest Super PAC (political action committee) in the Asian American diaspora, says that even though it is not easy to find accurate data on how much finance Indian Americans are pumping into campaigns, there are huge donors in the community. This is evident from the fact that the Democratic National Finance Committee is 5% Indian-American even as their share in the US population is only 1%. At the same time, small-dollar donors are important too, adds Narasimhan.

M.R. Rangaswami, Indiaspora's Founder & Chairman, also notes the remarkable volume of funds being generated. "Now we have two healthy PACs with the AAPI Victory Fund and the Indian American Impact Fund, so more and more money is coming in," he says. The Indian American Impact, the largest desi PAC, is also identifying and training the next batch of leaders.

Dr Sangay Mishra, associate professor of Political Science at Drew University and author of Desis Divided: The Political Lives of South Asian Americans, found in his research that since 2012, Indian Americans have been "very visible" in "bundling" contributions for campaigns. "We have seen that kind of outsized influence because of the number of very wealthy fundraisers organised in the community networks," he says.

It's a popular saying that the road to the White House goes through Silicon Valley - the hub of affluent Indians in tech. Harris's recent California fundraisers generated $55 million over a weekend; she has raised a billion dollars since becoming the nominee. Powerful fundraisers, including the one hosted by the billionaire AI investor and technologist Vinod Khosla for the Democratic campaign this election cycle, made news waves. There are more than 60 Indian names on the list of VCs for Kamala. Other business leaders and founders endorsing her include corporate leaders like Indra Nooyi.

The Enduring Republican Vote

While Harris's candidacy has further loosened the purse strings of enthused Democrats, Donald Trump's Indian American supporters, including Vivek Ramaswamy, have stayed loyal to the Republican Party.

Sampat Shivangi, an old-time Republican faithful and the only Indian American delegate at the Republican National Convention this year, has been elected to the body for the sixth time. He is sending a big cheque for Trump's campaign. Then there is hotelier Danny Gaekwad, who has contributed to the campaigns of every Republican Presidential candidate since George Bush. "The October event involved an insane amount of money. People known to me are calling me - Bhau, I want to go, my wife wants to go," Gaekwad says about a sold-out fundraiser.

Republicans like Shivangi say they support Trump because "Harris is not a friend of India". Along with accusations of "diluting" her Indian American identity, they point out that she failed to visit India during her years as Vice-President.

Republicans, however, do acknowledge that the fervour among Indian American supporters of the party, especially Hindus, has waned since 2020, when President Trump and Prime Minister Narendra Modi's friendly ties created a huge buzz. "{Perhaps because] he is a third-time candidate," Gaekwad reasons.

Though wooed by both parties, by and large, Indian Americans have voted for Democrats. A 2024 AAPI Data survey found that 55% of Indian Americans identify as Democrats, 25% as Republicans and 15% as Independents.

Sway In Swing States

The Indian American community is critical for both parties because even though they make up only 1% of the US population, about a third of them reside in Presidential battleground states like Michigan and Georgia, where they can play a huge role in shaping the results. Recalling the narrow Democratic victory in Georgia in 2020, Mishra says, "In a state like that, it matters because the margin was so thin. Indian Americans voted one way and the election went that way, if they had voted the other way results might have been different." The last few Presidential elections have been close calls, decided by narrow gaps in a handful of states. Polls show that the current one seems evenly poised. There are nearly 4,00,000 voters of South Asian descent in the 10 most contested swing states. "There is a sizeable number of Indian Americans who can make a difference," says Dr Mishra.

Thus, volunteers of the highly politically engaged community utilise their resources strategically in pivotal states. Based in the Democratic stronghold California, Sangeeta Ramakrishnan is They See Blue's 'lead' for swing state calls. She says, "There are more of us in blue states and because you don't need to knock those many doors here, it's better to use our resources effectively." 

Every election, Pennsylvania's Buck's County gains the reputation of being the "swingiest county in the swingiest state". Rupa Mohan, a volunteer at They See Blue, says, "We have phone banks run by Gujarati volunteers, Malayalam speakers, Urdu speakers. We have a whole pile of different volunteers lined up."

Overall as well, the political participation of the 4.8 million-strong young immigrant community is soaring. In the last two presidential elections, they had the highest voter turnout among Asian Americans, on par with white voter turnout. As many as 71% of eligible Indian Americans voted in 2020, a 9-point increase from 2016. This trend is expected to continue. A recent Asian American voter survey shows that around 91% of Indian Americans plan to vote in this election.

Office Dreams

It's not only electoral numbers that elevate the Indian Americans' political profile - they also nurture strong ambitions for office. From the highest level - the Presidential post - to Congress, state senates, assemblies, district attorneys, city councils, to school boards, their numbers are huge. 

No one really has a count of how many Indian American candidates are in the 2024 race. But there are five Indian Americans in the current US Congress, and, after the coming election, says Narasimhan, the community will likely have seven. Getting to that number took decades since the first Indian American was voted to the Congress in 1956. But the rise in the last 20 years has been exponential, thanks to second-generation Indian Americans and their education levels, which are far higher than the US average.

As for their numbers in administration, while Indian Americans constitute just 0.6% of the adult citizen population in the US, they hold about 4.4% of senior positions in government. There are over 150 Indian Americans in the Biden-Harris administration, and that is projected to increase by over 50 if Harris becomes President.

The Pursuit Of Influence

Having conquered every metric on the ladder of ascent - votes, money and candidates - Indian American leaders are aspiring for political representation similar to what the much older Jewish American population enjoys. Jews constitute about 2% of the American population but make up 10% of the US Congress. "In force, we have been here for about 30 years," says Rangaswami. "We are 7% of US physicians, 10% of the American IT sector and are well-represented in academia and government, so why not have clout." 

Already, with early voting having begun, supporters of both parties are canvassing aggressively through door-to-door promotions, postcards, phone calls, and texts. "It's going to heat up in the next few weeks!" says Shobha Chokkalingam, Atlanta-based leader of the Georgia chapter of the American Hindu Coalition. But it's 'desi' Democratic supporters for whom this election is particularly special. With Kamala Harris in the race, the Indian American community is eager to play a part in making history. Rangaswami sums it up well: "If Kamala Harris becomes president - I mean keep in mind there's been no Jewish president in the US - this could be a huge thing. So let's see!"

(Savita Patel is a San Francisco Bay Area-based journalist and producer. She reports on the Indian diaspora, India-US ties, geopolitics, technology, public health, and the environment. She tweets at @SsavitaPatel.)

Disclaimer: These are the personal opinions of the author