Washington, October 13, 2026 (Yes Punjab News)
Republicans and Democrats in Michigan are stepping up efforts to attract Indian-American voters ahead of the November 3 US midterm elections, with the Republican Party claiming growing community support for Senate nominee Mike Rogers and Democrats highlighting the possibility of Ranjeev Puri becoming the country’s first Indian-American state House Speaker.
The Michigan Republican Party claimed in a post on X on Sunday that the Indian-American community was backing Rogers and the party’s wider ticket.
“The Indian-American community in Michigan is coming out big-time for Mike Rogers and our entire Republican ticket,” the party said in a post described as a live update from an event in Oakland County.
The post named Michigan GOP Co-Chair Sunny Reddy and Republican National Committee National Committeewoman Hima Kolanagireddy, both Indian Americans, among those attending. However, the party did not provide figures on turnout or evidence quantifying the community’s support.
Democrats also sought to highlight Indian-American representation. A state House campaign posting as @HaleyforMI said the party was poised to regain control of the chamber and make Puri “THE FIRST! Indian American State House Speaker in the country!”
Puri, a Democrat representing Michigan’s 24th District in Canton, Wayne County, has served as House Democratic Leader since January 2025 and is seeking re-election. He could become Speaker only if Democrats win a majority in the House and members of his caucus elect him to the position.
Republicans currently control the Michigan House under Speaker Matt Hall, while Democrats hold the state Senate and the governorship. A review of state legislative leadership records cited in the source material found no Indian American who has served as Speaker of a state House or Assembly. Indian Americans have held senior positions below that level, including deputy speakers Upendra Chivukula and Raj Mukherji in the New Jersey General Assembly.
After the August 4 primary, Puri said House Democrats aimed to regain control of the chamber, restore unified Democratic control of state government and keep Michigan moving forward.
The political outreach comes amid a contentious Senate contest between Rogers, a former Republican congressman, and Democratic nominee Abdul El-Sayed, whose parents immigrated from Egypt.
President Donald Trump attacked El-Sayed at a rally in Youngstown, Ohio, on Monday, calling him a “jihadist”. Trump had used the same description at a rally in Clarksville, Tennessee, on Saturday and has repeatedly referred to the candidate as “Mohammed” rather than Abdul.
Responding on X, El-Sayed said Trump knew his name was Abdul and argued that the attacks were directed not only at him but also at the wider community. If elected, El-Sayed would become the first Muslim member of the US Senate.
Neither party’s posts provided data on Indian-American voter registration or turnout in Michigan, and neither campaign has released polling showing the community’s preferences.
Michigan’s Indian-American population is concentrated in Detroit’s suburbs, including Oakland County and Canton Township. The state was among the closest battlegrounds in the 2024 presidential election, while the Senate seat is open following Democratic Senator Gary Peters’ retirement.
Indian Americans have traditionally leaned towards Democrats, although Republicans have increasingly sought to attract the community through candidate recruitment and appointments to party leadership positions.
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