COMMENTARY
Zohran Mamdani and the Rise of Indian American Political Power
By Sara Sadhwani
August 6, 2025
Key points: Zohran Mamdani’s groundbreaking primary victory in New York highlights not only his progressive, populist appeal but also the growing political influence of Indian Americans.
When Zohran Mamdani stunned New York’s political establishment this summer with his victory in the Democratic primary for mayor, much of the buzz focused on his progressive platform, digital savvy, and youthful energy. But another story deserves attention: Mamdani, an Indian American born in Uganda, energized New York City’s fast-growing South Asian community—and that should come as no surprise.
In my new research published in Ethnic and Racial Studies, I explore a question that political scientists have rarely asked: Do Indian American voters feel more politically represented when candidates from their own community run for office? While researchers have long examined how Black and Latino candidates mobilize co-ethnic voters, there has been little attention to this dynamic among Indian Americans—despite their rising political influence.
That’s a significant oversight. Indian Americans are now the largest subgroup within the Asian American population. As the below data from AAPI Data’s Community Data Explorer shows, the Indian American population has grown steadily over the last decade, and now there are over 4 million Indian Americans in the United States. Indian Americans have the highest median weekly income of any racial or ethnic group in the U.S.—including white Americans. Many arrive fluent in English, with high levels of education, and with experience voting in the world’s largest democracy. These characteristics often translate into strong civic engagement.
And the data backs that up: According to AAPI Data, Indian Americans had the highest voter turnout among Asian Americans in the 2024 election—70%. Their growing numbers in swing states like Georgia, North Carolina, Texas, and Virginia make them a crucial voting bloc in national and local elections.
Indian Americans have long been a reliable Democratic constituency and consistently favor progressive policy positions across a range of issues. Based on AAPI Data surveys, 72 percent of registered Indian American voters supported Joe Biden in the 2020 presidential election, compared to just 22 percent for Donald Trump. This made Indian Americans the most Democratic-leaning subgroup among Asian American voters at that time. A 2024 AAPI Data voter survey further revealed strong Indian American support for progressive stances—including stricter gun control, expanded government-funded healthcare, and protecting reproductive rights. These consistent policy preferences and high turnout rates underscore the strength and reliability of Indian Americans as an engaged, values-driven Democratic base.
During his campaign, Mamdani actively reached out to South Asian communities, releasing videos in Urdu and Bengali, and visiting temples and mosques across New York. My research suggests this wasn’t just symbolic—it was strategic. A national survey conducted before the 2020 election found that 67% of Indian Americans said they would feel better represented if more Indian Americans were elected to office. This idea—known as descriptive representation—is the sense that voters are more empowered when their elected officials share their racial or ethnic identity.
Data from the 2024 AAPI Voter Survey further reflects this finding with 46% of Indian Americans saying it is extremely important or very important to elect more Indian Americans to office.
The study also found that Indian Americans who regularly watched Indian television news were significantly more likely to say they would support an Indian American candidate, regardless of political party. In Mamdani’s case, his cultural fluency and grassroots outreach likely helped drive voter turnout in communities that are often overlooked.
While it’s difficult to pinpoint voters’ exact ethnic backgrounds, the numbers tell a compelling story. Mamdani won big in Jackson Heights—home to a large Indian American community—and in Brooklyn’s Kensington neighborhood, known as “Little Bangladesh.” The New York Times later reported that turnout surged among voters with names associated with majority-Muslim countries, strongly suggesting Mamdani helped mobilize South Asian and Muslim communities at the polls.
Indian Americans are increasingly visible in national politics, from Vice President Kamala Harris to Republican presidential hopefuls Nikki Haley and Vivek Ramaswamy. My article also considers how Indian American identity influenced the 2024 election, where some Indian Americans shifted toward the Republican Party compared to 2020. Mamdani’s rise will no doubt highlight additional complexities within Indian American political identity, particularly the ways political desires in the U.S. intersect with sectarian divides in India. A recent New York Times article underscores this tension, noting that Mamdani, a critic of India’s Hindu nationalist government, has drawn ire from some Hindu American groups who view his positions as threatening or divisive.
This backlash serves as a reminder that Indian American political representation is not monolithic. While shared ethnic heritage can be a powerful mobilizer, political ideology, religion, and views on foreign policy—especially regarding India—can create sharp divides within the community. As Indian Americans grow in political influence, these internal fissures will likely continue to shape the boundaries of solidarity, coalition building, and what it means to represent a diverse diaspora.
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Sara Sadhwani is an assistant professor of politics at Pomona College and a senior researcher at AAPI Data.