Indian-American voters back Democrats despite political fatigue, survey finds

A national AAPI survey found Indian-American voters strongly favour Democratic candidates in key US midterm races. The findings also highlight high turnout intent, limited party outreach and widespread political fatigue.Indian-American voters in the US are leaning towards Democratic candidates in the midterm elections despite political fatigue, according to a national survey among Asian and Pacific Islander American communities.The survey by Asian and Pacific Islander American Vote said there was strong interest in the November 3 midterm elections for 435 Congressional and 35 Senate seats, along with several local public offices. More than 90 per cent of registered Asian American and Pacific Islander voters said they planned to vote.Among Indian-Americans, 66 per cent said they would vote for Democratic candidates in both the Congressional and Senate elections. In the Congressional elections, 18 per cent of those surveyed said they would vote for Republican candidates, while 22 per cent favoured Republicans in Senate races.The survey also pointed to limited outreach by the two main parties. As many as 42 per cent of AAPI voters surveyed said there was no contact from the Democratic Party, while 58 per cent said the Republican Party had also not reached out to them. On political participation, 66 per cent of AAPI voters said they were highly engaged, but always felt exhausted when thinking about politics. "With Asian Americans being the fastest-growing electorate in the country, it's crucial that we have the latest data on what motivates them to turn out and vote," Karthick Ramakrishnan, founder and executive director of AAPI Data, a research and policy organisation, said.The survey reached 2,066 registered voters, including 1,896 Asian Americans, 242 Indian-American respondents, and 170 Pacific Islanders. It found that cost of living and inflation was the top issue for Asian American voters, with 90 per cent calling it very or extremely important. This was followed by healthcare at 82 per cent, jobs and unemployment at 80 per cent, social security and medicare at 80 per cent, and education at 79 per cent. The survey was conducted by Asian and Pacific Islander American Vote and AAPI Data, which estimate that 16 million Asian-American and Pacific Islander citizens are eligible to vote in 2026. Overall, the findings showed high planned turnout among AAPI voters, limited party outreach, and a clear Democratic preference among Indian-American voters.With PTI Inputs- EndsPublished By: India Today Web Desk Published On: Sep 8, 2026 04:36 IST