Celebrating New Historic Victories: Indian American Impact Reflects Final Called Races

Washington — After a full week of counting results, the final races for Indian American Impact’s endorsed candidates have been called. Carrying on last week’s momentum, Impact managed to clinch three more historic South Asian wins nationwide. Among the new results include multiple Texas elected officials, including Surendran Pattel and Juli Matthew, along with California’s newly-elected city councilwoman, Janani Ramchandran. These newly called races bring Impact’s total from 24 wins to 27. 

Finally, Zohaib Qadri, candidate for Austin City Council’s 10th District in Texas, is set for a December 13, 2022 run-off election.

Impact’s ongoing investments to engage and elect South Asian American candidates, turn out South Asian voters across the U.S. and cut through pervasive disinformation campaigns prepared their historically excluded community to flex its political power in this year’s midterm elections.

In the course of mobilizing South Asian Americans across the country, Impact and its network marshaled over $10 million toward critical races and candidacies. This funding was crucial for running innovative programs in Pennsylvania and across the country to engage South Asian voters of all ages and backgrounds, and to directly support candidates and efforts to flip state legislative chambers. 

Indian American Impact helped elect the following historic candidates:

• Shri Thanedar – First-ever Indian American and second-ever South Asian Michigander elected to Congress 
• Aruna Miller – First woman of color and the first South Asian or AAPI woman to serve as lieutenant governor in the United States, including in Maryland
• Nabilah Islam – First-ever South Asian American woman elected to the Georgia State Legislature
• Dr. Arvind Venkat and Tarik Khan – First-ever South Asian Americans in the Pennsylvania House of Representatives
• Suleman Lalani and Salman Bhojani – First-ever South Asian Americans in the Texas House of Representatives 
• Kevin Olickal and Nabeela Syed – First-ever South Asian Americans to the Illinois House of Representatives 
• Dr. Megan Srinivas – Second-ever South Asian American in the Iowa House of Representatives

All Big Wins for Indian American Impact’s Endorsed Candidates:

Arizona
Priya Sundareshan – Arizona State Senate, District 18

California
Janani Ramachandran – Oakland City Council, District 4 

Georgia
Nabilah Islam – Georgia State Senate, District 7
Farooq Mughal – Georgia House of Representatives, District 105

Illinois
Kevin Olickal – Illinois House of Representatives, District 16
Nabeela Syed – Illinois House of Representatives, District 51

Iowa
Megan Srinivas – Iowa House of Representatives, District 30

Maryland
Aruna Miller – Lieutenant Governor
Kumar Barve – House of Delegates, District 17 (Incumbent)

Michigan
Shri Thanedar – U.S. House, 13th Congressional District
Sam Singh – Michigan State Senate, District 28
Ranjeev Puri – Michigan House of Representatives, District 24 (Incumbent)
Ajay Raman – Oakland County Commissioner, District 14

New York
Jeremy Cooney – New York State Senate, District 56 (Incumbent)

Ohio
Anita Somani – Ohio House of Representatives, District 11

Pennsylvania
Arvind Venkat – Pennsylvania House of Representatives, District 30
Tarik Khan – Pennsylvania House of Representatives, District 194

Texas
Suleman Lalani – Texas House of Representatives, District 76
Salman Bhojani – Texas House of Representatives, District 92
Manpreet Monica Singh – Harris County Civil Court at Law No. 4
KP George – Fort Bend County Commissioners Court Judge (re-elect)
Surendran Pattel – District Court Judge, District 240
Juli Mathew – Fort Bend County Court at Law No. 3 (Incumbent)
Zohaib Qadri – Austin City Council, District 10 – Run off 

Utah
Sim Gill – District Attorney, Salt Lake City (Incumbent)

Vermont
Kesha Ram Hinsdale – State Senate, Chittenden

Washington
Manka Dhingra – Washington State Senate, District 45 (Incumbent)

####