With Suhas Subramanyam's victory in the Virginia Democratic primaries, where he beat off his rivals in the intra-party election Tuesday, the "Samosa Caucus" of Indian-Americans in the U.S. Congress is likely to get a new member.
Separately, Rajesh Mohan secured the Republican ticket in New Jerseys primaries last week that will set up an intense electoral battle in what essentially is an overwhelmingly Democratic district.
There are currently five Indian-Americans serving in the House of Representatives under the banner of the "Samosa Caucus": Ami Bera and Ro Khanna from California, Pramila Jayapal from Washington State, Raja Krishnamoorthi from Illinois, and Shri Thanedar from Michigan.
Subramanyam is a State Senator from Bengaluru who prevailed over 11 opponents in the super-charged primary election with character allegations against his main opponent. Backed by retiring Rep. Jennifer Wexton, who won the district for Democrats in 2018 and held it since, makes the seat traditionally safe for Subramanyam.
Subramanyam, 37, is an attorney who served as a technology adviser to President Barack Obama, focusing on cybersecurity and the modernization of government. He also worked in public service as a volunteer medic and firefighter.
In New Jersey, cardiologist Rajesh Mohan has emerged as the winner in the Republican primaries, setting him up against an incumbent Democrat in one of the strongly blue districts. Coming from Delhi University's College of Medical Sciences, Mohan will find the going tough to make a difference in a constituency historically tilted toward Democrats.
On the other side of Oregon, meanwhile, Susheela Jayapal, sister of one of the most influential representatives in the country, Pramila Jayapal, lost a Democratic House primary. The defeat reflects progressive candidates' larger losses within recent party contests.
These success and defeat results show how the nature of Indian-American political representation is changing in the American scene—a scene where victories and defeats characterize the outcome of primary elections in different states at varied levels.
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