US midterms: Pia Dandiya wins a Florida House seat, Hyderabad-born Aruna Miller re-elected, Vivek Ramaswamy loses Ohio governor race

Indian-American candidates came out of the US midterms on Tuesday, 3 November, with a split verdict: a first House seat for an Indian-American woman from Florida, a second term in Maryland for Hyderabad-born Lieutenant Governor Aruna Miller, and defeat in Ohio for Republican Vivek Ramaswamy.

Democrat Pia Dandiya took Florida’s 22nd Congressional District from Republican Casey Askar, with early counts putting her near 52% against his 48%. The daughter of Indian immigrants, she grew up in Palm Beach County, taught and later ran a high school before entering politics. No Indian-American woman from Florida had been elected to the House before her.

Four House members keep their seats

Four sitting Indian-American members of the House were returned: Ro Khanna and Ami Bera in California, Pramila Jayapal in Washington and Suhas Subramanyam in Virginia. Subramanyam, who first won Virginia’s 10th District in 2024, beat Republican Dave Beckwith. In Illinois, Democrat Nabeela Syed captured State Senate District 26 from the Republicans.

In Maryland, Miller secured four more years as lieutenant governor on Governor Wes Moore’s Democratic ticket. Her family left Hyderabad for the US when she was seven, and she was the first immigrant to win statewide office in Maryland.

Ramaswamy concedes in Ohio

Ramaswamy, 41, had campaigned with the support of President Donald Trump and Vice President JD Vance, but Ohio voters chose Democrat Amy Acton as governor, a physician who once headed the state health department. She is the first woman Ohioans have elected to the office. Ramaswamy conceded and told supporters he had phoned Acton to congratulate her.

The Carnegie Endowment for International Peace puts the Indian-origin population of the US at under six million, roughly 1.5% of the country. In its October 2026 survey, 62% of Indian-American citizens said they would back the Democrat in their congressional district, against 19% for the Republican.

Results remain unofficial until states certify them. Dandiya and the rest of the new House take their seats when Congress convenes in January 2027.