The ongoing US elections, culminating on Tuesday, November 4, 2025, showcase a growing and diverse slate of South Asian-American candidates vying for office across the country. Leading the visibility charge is Zohran Mamdani, the 34-year-old New York City mayoral candidate, often dubbed “The Internet’s Mayor” for his high social media profile and youthful appeal.
Mamdani, who was born in Uganda and raised in New York City, is the son of renowned Indian filmmaker Mira Nair and Mahmood Mamdani, a Ugandan author of Indian ancestry. He is currently a New York State Assemblymember, pitching himself as a “democratic socialist”. In the mayoral race, he is competing against former New York State Governor Andrew Cuomo (running as an independent after Mamdani defeated him for the party ticket) and Republican nominee Curtis Sliwa.
Shared Identity: Ghazala Hashmi in Virginia
Mamdani shares several identity markers with another successful Democrat: Ghazala Hashmi, who is running for Virginia Lieutenant Governor.
- Pioneer: Hashmi, 61, is a Muslim and the first South Asian American to serve in the Virginia Senate.
- Background: She emigrated from India to the US at the age of four with her mother and older brother. Her father, who was completing his PhD in international relations, was already teaching at a university in Georgia.
- Political Impact: Hashmi made a major political impact in November 2019 by scoring an upset victory over a Republican incumbent, which was instrumental in delivering a Democratic majority to the Virginia Senate for the first time in years.
- Key Role: In 2024, she was named Chair of the Senate Education and Health Committee, a crucial leadership post overseeing reproductive rights and public education, two major Democratic priorities.
Diverse South Asian Candidates Nationwide
The list of candidates with Indian or broader South Asian roots is extensive this election cycle, running for various local and state positions:
- Aftab Pureval (Cincinnati Mayor, Ohio): Pureval, who is running for re-election, embodies a diverse heritage. His father is Punjabi, and his mother is a Tibetan Buddhist who fled the Chinese occupation as a child and grew up in a southern Indian refugee camp. Pureval has publicly acknowledged his connection to the Tibetan community and recognized the religious repression they face. He began his political career in 2015.
- Satish Garimella (Morrisville Mayor, North Carolina).
- Dini Ajmani (Hoboken Mayor, New Jersey): Ajmani is running to succeed the previous two-term Indian-American mayor, Ravi Bhalla, who is now seeking a seat in the New Jersey State Assembly.
Overall, many Indian-American and South Asian candidates are running for city council seats in states including New Jersey, North Carolina, Ohio, Washington, Georgia, Florida, and Pennsylvania.
Community Mobilization
The community organization Indian American Impact noted the momentum, stating that their communities “have the chance to shape the future.” The organization reported that they endorsed 50 South Asian candidates who ran for office this year, and 36 of those candidates are appearing on ballots nationwide on Tuesday.