Washington, November 5, 2026 (Yes Punjab News)
Indian American council member Nithya Raman widened her lead over incumbent Mayor Karen Bass in the Los Angeles mayoral race, while Democrat and former Arizona legislator Amish Shah declared victory in a Republican-held congressional seat as counting continued following the US midterm elections.
According to the latest available Los Angeles County returns, Raman was leading Bass by 26,124 votes, putting her ahead in the contest to lead America’s second-largest city.
County figures updated Wednesday afternoon showed Raman with 405,193 votes, or 51.67 per cent, against Bass’s 379,069 votes, or 48.33 per cent. Raman had moved ahead after Bass initially held a narrow advantage on election night. However, ballots were still outstanding, and local broadcaster ABC7 continued to describe the contest as too close to call.
In Arizona, Shah declared victory over Republican Jay Feely in the state’s 1st Congressional District. The Arizona Republic reported that Shah had spoken with Feely and commended him on a hard-fought campaign. However, the report did not establish that Feely had formally conceded.
Election tracker Decision Desk HQ projected Shah as the winner on Wednesday evening, according to Arizona broadcaster KTAR. The broadcaster reported Shah leading with 52.5 per cent of the vote against Feely’s 45.4 per cent, a margin of 22,494 votes.
The congressional district includes Scottsdale and parts of the Phoenix area. The seat became open after Republican Representative David Schweikert vacated it to run for governor. Feely, a former National Football League kicker and broadcaster, had the endorsement of President Donald Trump, while Shah is an emergency-room physician and former Arizona state legislator.
The two contests have drawn attention for their potential to increase Indian American representation in American public office. Raman is challenging an incumbent mayor, while Shah contested an open congressional seat.
The Congressional Asian Pacific American Caucus said in a statement issued before the reported projection that Shah’s victory would make him the first Indian American elected to represent Arizona’s 1st Congressional District.
The caucus also said his election would take its anticipated Asian American and Pacific Islander membership in the next Congress to 23, up from the minimum of 22 identified earlier.
It also welcomed Pia Dandiya’s election in Florida’s 22nd Congressional District, describing her as the first Indian American woman elected to represent that constituency.
The November 3 elections included contests for Congress, state governments and local offices. Members of the US House of Representatives serve two-year terms, with the next Congress scheduled to begin in January 2027.
Neither a candidate’s victory declaration nor a media projection amounts to official certification of an election result.
FOLLOW NOW
