Published 16:27 IST, October 3rd 2020
US Presidential Elections 2020: List of Indian-American candidates contesting this time
The 52-year-old attorney general Kamala Harris became the first Indian American with her roots in Chennai to get elected to the US Senate in 2016.
As senator Kamala Harris’ Vice Presidential ticket makes her the first Black woman and first vice-presidential candidate of Indian American origin, the 2020 US Presidential election is witnessing the democratic party endorsing a bid to woo the support of the 1.3 million Indian-Americans voters. Several Indian-American Members of Congress on the US Senate and House of Representatives are tugged in a Presidential election race majorly in the swing states of Pennsylvania, Florida, and Ohio which has a sizable presence.
List of major Indian-American candidates
Vice President nominee Kamala Harris
The 52-year-old attorney general Kamala Harris became the first Indian American with her roots in Chennai to get elected to the US Senate in 2016. At an Asian American & Pacific Islander (AAPI) Caucus meeting earlier, Vice president nominee Harris said in a televised address said that Democratic presidential candidate Joe Biden has "pledged to appoint more AAPI judges than all previous administrations combined.”
Krishna Bansal: Republican Party
Indian-American entrepreneur Krishna Bansal ran for the 11th Congressional District of Illinois from Trump's Republican Party. Bansal hails from the Chicago metropolitan area and his policies comprised free enterprise, fiscal discipline, and foreign affairs. However, Bansal who was in the 2020 Presidential race lost the Republican primary on March 17, 2020, to Rick Lab.
[Photo Credit: Twitter/@KrishnaBansalUS]
Amerish Babulal "Ami" Bera: Democratic Party
Indian American US House representative, Ami Bera has been the US Representative for California's 7th congressional district since 2013. The congressman represents the east of California’s capital city, Sacramento, and lies entirely within Sacramento County. Bera is currently on House Foreign Affairs Committee, where he serves as Chairman of the Subcommittee on Asia, the Pacific, and Nonproliferation. Bera is Vice-Chair of the House Committee on Science, Space, and Technology and a Leadership Member for the New Democrat Coalition. [Photo Credit: Twitter/@AAAFund]
Sara Gideon: Democratic Party
The 48-year-old Sara Gideon, a Speaker of the Maine State Assembly of the Indian-origin is the Democrat’s candidate for the Maine state Senate race who was also previously backed by the 44th President Obama’s administration. Senator Gideon was up against the Republican Senator Susan Collins at 39 percent while Gideon was 44 percent. Upon her election, Gideon would have made the second Indian-American in the US Senate. Her father Vasant Gideon hails from India and her mother is a second-generation Armenian American from Rhodes Island, US.
[Photo Credit: Twitter/ @SaraGideon]
Manga Anantatmula: Democratic Party
Vouching for the Hindu community's support in the US, Indian American with roots from Andra Pradesh Manga Anantatmula will run from the 11th Congressional district of Virginia and will be the first-ever House of Representatives presumptive nominee from the District of Virginia in the US. Congresswoman Manga was a former federal government contractor in defense acquisitions program management, and in the 2020 November, Congressional elections seek to defeat the six-term incumbent Congressman Gerry Connolly.
[Photo Credit: Twitter/@4_va11]
Pramila Jayapal: Democratic Pary
Pramila Jayapal, a US Representative for Washington's 7th congressional district since 2017 was born in Chennai, Tamil Nadu, India. She is an active financial analyst and member of the Washington state senate 2015-2016 elected as a Democrat to the One Hundred Fifteenth Congress. Her district includes Seattle as well as suburban areas of King County.
[Photo Credit: Twitter/ @PramilaJayapal]
Ro Khanna: Democratic Party
Indian American Ro Khanna from Congressional District in Silicon Valley will woo Indian American presence from the tech and digital industry in the district where Apple, Tesla, and eBay are headquartered. Ro Khanna, a Representative from California was born in Philadelphia, Philadelphia County. He was elected as a Democrat to the One Hundred Fifteenth Congress (January 3, 2017-present).
Raja Krishnamoorthi: Democratic party
Raja Krishnamoorthi, a US Representative from Illinois of Indian origin was born in New Delhi, India. He's US Representative for Illinois's 8th congressional district since 2017. His district includes the west and northwest suburbs of Chicago. Raja serves on the Oversight Committee, for which he is also the Chairman of the Subcommittee on Economic and Consumer Policy, as well as on the House Intelligence Committee.
[Photo Credit: Twitter/@RajaForCongress]
Updated 16:27 IST, October 3rd 2020