Democrats win control of Congress as Indian-origin and Muslim candidates make history
Washington: Democrats have won majorities in both the House of Representatives and the Senate, taking full control of Congress for the first time since 2023. The Associated Press and major networks confirmed the outcome after nearly all major races were called. The results reflect a broad voter rebuke of President Donald Trump’s administration over high living costs, energy prices linked to the Iran conflict and other economic pressures.
Democrats flipped several Senate seats in states that had been Republican strongholds, including Texas, Ohio, Kansas, Iowa and South Carolina. They also won a solid majority in the House.
Indian-origin candidates, mostly Democrats, recorded a series of clear victories.
In Florida’s 22nd Congressional District, Democrat Pia Dandiya beat Republican Casey Askar with about 52 percent of the vote. A former high school principal, she becomes the first Indian-American from Florida elected to the US House. Her win in a competitive South Florida seat adds to the group of South Asian representatives in Congress.
Incumbent Democrat Suhas Subramanyam held Virginia’s 10th Congressional District, defeating Republican Dave Beckwith with roughly 61–63 percent of the vote. A former Obama administration technology policy adviser, he first won the seat in 2024 and remains Virginia’s first Indian-American member of Congress. Progressive Representative Pramila Jayapal easily kept Washington’s 7th District, taking approximately 87 percent against Republican Nirav Sheth.
Ro Khanna retained California’s 17th District, which covers parts of Silicon Valley, against fellow Indian-American Republican Ritesh Tandon. Ami Bera won another term in California’s 3rd District. Aruna Miller, Maryland’s Lieutenant Governor, who was born in Hyderabad, kept her place on the ticket as Governor Wes Moore won re-election.
Wisconsin Attorney General Josh Kaul and Georgia state House member Jyot Singh also recorded wins among Indian-origin candidates. Republican Vivek Ramaswamy lost the Ohio governor’s race to Democrat Amy Acton. Acton, a former state health director, becomes the first woman elected governor of Ohio. The defeat ends Ramaswamy’s bid for statewide office, which followed his 2024 presidential run and his role in the Department of Government Efficiency.
Other Indian-origin Republicans, including Tandon and Sheth, also fell short. In the Los Angeles mayoral race, Kerala-born Democrat Nithya Raman was trailing incumbent Karen Bass in early returns.
Muslim Americans record several historic firsts
Democrat Abdul El-Sayed won Michigan’s open US Senate seat, defeating Republican Mike Rogers. The Associated Press called the race early on November 4. A physician and former Detroit health director, El-Sayed becomes the first Muslim American elected to the Senate. His campaign focused on healthcare, economic inequality and foreign policy restraint.
In the House, Adam Hamawy won New Jersey’s 12th District and becomes the state’s first Muslim member of Congress. The Egyptian-American plastic surgeon and former Army combat surgeon, who volunteered in Gaza, succeeds retiring Democrat Bonnie Watson Coleman. Darializa Avila Chevalier won New York’s 13th District and becomes the first Latina Muslim elected to Congress.
The Dominican-American convert, backed by New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani and the Democratic Socialists of America, beat her Republican opponent by a wide margin after unseating longtime incumbent Adriano Espaillat in the primary.
Several Muslim incumbents kept their House seats
Ilhan Omar in Minnesota’s 5th, Rashida Tlaib in Michigan’s 12th, André Carson in Indiana’s 7th and Lateefah Simon in California’s 12th. Reports on the morning of November 4 counted seven Muslim members heading to the next Congress. Aisha Wahab’s race in California’s 14th District, following her earlier special-election win, was still being finalised.
At the state level, Aber Kawas won New York State Senate District 12 with about 74–75 percent of the vote. She becomes the first Palestinian American and the first hijab-wearing woman elected to the New York State Legislature. Letitia Plummer became Harris County Judge in Texas, the first Black woman and the first Muslim in that role. Ruwa Romman moved from the Georgia House to the State Senate in District 7, becoming the first Palestinian American in Georgia’s upper chamber.
These results build on a pre-election baseline in which the Council on American-Islamic Relations had identified a record number of Muslim elected officials. Indian-Americans continue to expand their presence across both parties, though Democratic successes predominated.
With Democrats controlling both chambers, the next Congress will be better placed to investigate the administration, shape legislation and influence foreign-policy decisions, including those on the ongoing Iran conflict. Official certification continues in some contests, but the overall outcome and the pattern of historic firsts are now clear. The new Congress takes office in January 2027.