At least nine Indian-American Republicans are contesting the November 3 US elections, led by Vivek Ramaswamy in the Ohio gubernatorial race, as growing opposition to the H-1B visa programme within their own party puts legal immigration under renewed political scrutiny.
The H-1B programme has long served as a pathway for Indian professionals to work in the United States. However, senior Republicans, including Vice President JD Vance, have criticised its use, arguing that it can displace American workers.
“Unfortunately, what we see with most H-1Bs is that you’re taking somebody, I’m sure in most cases, a decent human being, and they’re using them to replace an American middle class worker,” Vance told reporters on Thursday. He said the US should welcome people with genuinely elite specialised skills.
The Trump administration has also imposed a $100,000 fee on certain H-1B petitions, a measure subsequently blocked by a second federal judge, and suspended the employment-based green card route for eight technology firms.
Ramaswamy is facing Democrat Amy Acton in Ohio. Polling averages cited in the source material showed Acton leading by 4.6 to 4.8 percentage points on Saturday.
In New York, Trump-endorsed Saritha Komatireddy is challenging Democratic Attorney General Letitia James. A Siena poll conducted from September 11 to 17 put James ahead, with 52 per cent support against Komatireddy’s 39 per cent.
Republican nominees are also contesting three US House seats in heavily Democratic districts. Ritesh Tandon is challenging Ro Khanna in California’s 17th District, Nirav Sheth is running against Pramila Jayapal in Washington’s 7th, and Mahesh “Max” Ganorkar is opposing Valerie Foushee in North Carolina’s 4th.
Sheth, who was born and raised in India, moved to the US in 2008 as an engineering student and later served in the Marine Corps. His campaign website says legal immigration supports integration, fairness, opportunity and diversity.
At the state level, New York Assemblyman Anil Beephan Jr and Tennessee Representative Sabi “Doc” Kumar are seeking re-election. Former ISRO scientist Vinaya Singh is challenging a Democratic incumbent for the California Assembly, while Ashok Baddi is contesting a Michigan House seat.
Texas has emerged as a major flashpoint in the debate. Governor Greg Abbott froze new H-1B petitions at state agencies and universities in January, while Congressman Brandon Gill called for a freeze on all legal immigration. Abbott’s spokesman Andrew Mahaleris said the state could not allow a programme intended to supplement the American workforce to displace qualified US workers or suppress wages.
The rhetoric has also extended to Indian immigrants. Texas attorney general candidate Aaron Reitz referred to an “invasion of un-assimilated and un-assimilable Indians,” according to the Texas Tribune.
In Frisco, Texas, all Indian-American candidates in the spring city council and school board elections lost, including Republican Sreekanth Reddy. Reddy told the Texas Tribune that the political climate had been disappointing, while Republican Vijay Karthik said the party had been urged not to alienate Indian-American voters.
Ramaswamy has also faced online attacks over his immigrant background. Responding to broader ethnic hostility, he said at Turning Point’s AmericaFest in December 2025 that people who normalise hatred against ethnic groups, including Indians, have no place in the future of the conservative movement, as quoted by The Washington Post.
Survey findings cited by the Texas Tribune point to concerns among Indian-American voters over immigration restrictions. An AAPI Data survey in February found that 68 per cent believed Trump had gone too far in restricting legal immigration, while a summer AAPI Vote/AAPI Data survey found 74 per cent viewed him unfavourably.
The Republican National Committee has sought to expand its outreach to minority communities through community centres established since 2021, including one in Coppell, Texas, opened with a Diwali ceremony.
Louisiana’s Bobby Jindal and South Carolina’s Nikki Haley were the first two Indian-American governors, both Republicans. However, all six Indian-American members currently serving in the US House of Representatives are Democrats.
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