Zohran Mamdani’s campaign, powered by catchy music and viral videos, and his subsequent victory are well known. But two other Indian Americans also made significant gains in elections across New York, Virginia, and Ohio on Tuesday.
Adding intrigue, Cincinnati Mayor Aftab Pureval defeated US Vice President JD Vance’s half-brother, Cory Bowman, in his re-election bid.
“It takes immense courage to run for office, and these leaders have stepped up to represent their communities and build a better future for this country,” said Indian American Impact, an advocacy organization that works to empower South Asian and Indian American communities through civic engagement and partnership.
Zohran Kwame Mamdani emerged victorious in New York City’s mayoral race, becoming the first Muslim, first Indian-origin, and first African-born mayor of New York.
Three candidates of Indian descent played prominent roles in Democratic wins, at a time marked by heightened anti-Indian sentiment and H-1B visa concerns.
Mamdani, the son of filmmaker Mira Nair and Mahmood Mamdani, a Ugandan born author of Indian ancestry, upset former Governor Andrew Cuomo in the Democratic primary and was declared the winner in June this year. His rise marked the success of a candidate previously unknown to many.
Mamdani was born in Kampala, Uganda, moved to South Africa and then New York City at age seven, and became an American citizen in 2018. Earlier this year, he married Syrian-American artist Rama Duwaji, and he will take office on January 1.
Ghazala Hashmi won the Virginia Lieutenant Governor post, adding to her distinction as the first Muslim and first South Asian American to serve in the Virginia Senate.
Hashmi’s Senate seat will now be filled through a special election. She first entered politics in 2019, flipping a Republican-held state Senate seat, and in 2024 became chair of the Senate Education and Health Committee, overseeing priorities like reproductive freedom and public education.
Hashmi, born in 1964 in Hyderabad, India, with ancestral roots in Karachi, moved to the US at age four, was raised in Georgia, and holds a BA from Georgia Southern University and a PhD from Emory University.
Indian-origin Cincinnati Mayor Aftab Pureval secured a second term, defeating Republican Cory Bowman. Pureval, 43, first made history in 2021 as Cincinnati’s first Asian American mayor.
Although officially a non-partisan office, he is broadly aligned with the Democratic Party. His mother, a Tibetan refugee, escaped Chinese occupation and grew up in southern India, while his father is Punjabi. Pureval entered politics in 2015 with a bid for Hamilton County Clerk of Courts, gradually building a political career.
Pureval, born to migrant parents in Ohio, won his first student election in class 8 under the slogan “Big, Brown and Beautiful.” He graduated from the University of Cincinnati College of Law, worked in Washington, DC, returned to Ohio as a special assistant US attorney, and later joined Procter & Gamble as legal counsel before formally launching his political career.
Other Indian-American candidates also ran for local offices. In Morrisville, North Carolina, Satish Garimella lost to incumbent TJ Cawley, while in Hoboken, New Jersey, Dini Ajmani ran for mayor but no winner has been declared. Indian-American and South Asian candidates also contested city council seats across New Jersey, North Carolina, Ohio, Washington, Georgia, Florida, and Pennsylvania.
Former US President Barack Obama congratulated the Democratic winners on X, saying, “Congratulations to all the Democratic candidates who won tonight. It’s a reminder that when we come together around strong, forward-looking leaders who care about the issues that matter, we can win. We’ve still got plenty of work to do, but the future looks a little bit brighter.”
