Washington, October 18, 2026 (Yes Punjab News)
Two Indian-American Republicans challenging Indian-American Democratic Representatives Ro Khanna and Pramila Jayapal for seats in the US House have about $5,000 each in campaign funds, according to Federal Election Commission (FEC) filings. The figures highlight the limited financial resources of the party’s Indian-American congressional candidates compared with its better-known statewide contenders.
Ritesh Tandon, the Republican nominee in California’s 17th Congressional District, reported $5,227 in cash as of October 14, after raising $4,551 during the first two weeks of the month. He had ended September with $702.
Nirav Sheth, the Republican nominee in Washington’s 7th Congressional District, reported no fundraising or spending from July 23 to September 30, ending the period with $5,043.77. He has raised $8,900 during 2026.
The Democratic incumbents have substantially larger campaign funds. Khanna reported $16,936,477 in cash as of September 30, while Jayapal raised $348,702 between July 16 and September 30 and had $1,767,956 in the bank.
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Tandon has raised $57,011 for the current election cycle, with no loans or party funding. Outside groups have reported no spending in the district’s general election, according to PaidForPolitics, which tracks FEC data.
Khanna won California’s June 2 top-two primary with 62.3 per cent of the vote, compared with Tandon’s 14.8 per cent. In Washington’s August 4 primary, Jayapal secured 83.8 per cent, while Sheth received 10.6 per cent.
The current contest marks Tandon’s fourth attempt to win the seat. FEC records show that his fundraising declined from $178,536 in 2020 to $116,486 in 2022 and $26,133 in 2024.
A Silicon Valley technology entrepreneur, Tandon moved to the United States from India at the age of 28, worked at Cisco and heads Kricel Corporation. His campaign website says his grandfather, Kanhaiyalal Tandon, fought for India’s independence.
“I will always put the Constitution first, defend our founding principles, protect your freedoms, and uphold the rule of law every time without compromise,” his campaign website states.
Sheth, who was born and raised in India, moved to the United States in 2008 to study engineering. He served four years in the Marines before joining the Lakewood, Washington, police force in 2017, according to his website.
“I will advocate for a balanced policy that upholds the nation’s sovereignty and ensures safety by securing the borders, while also recognizing the essential role of immigrants in the US workforce,” Sheth says on his website.
FEC records also list Sheth as a candidate for the same congressional seat in 2024.
The third Indian-American Republican running for the House, Mahesh “Max” Ganorkar, is challenging Democratic Representative Valerie Foushee in North Carolina. He raised $6,651 in the third quarter. All three Republicans are contesting seats considered safe for Democrats.
In contrast, Indian-American Democrat Amish Shah raised $3.21 million in the third quarter in Arizona’s competitive 1st Congressional District.
The most prominent Indian-American Republicans on the November 3 ballot are contesting statewide races. Vivek Ramaswamy is running for governor of Ohio, while Saritha Komatireddy is seeking the office of New York attorney general.
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