New Delhi/New Jersey, October 27, 2025 — As the United States approaches critical gubernatorial and state assembly elections in New Jersey and Virginia on November 4, the Democratic Party is mounting a focused effort to court Indian-American voters, a community whose support has proven pivotal in past elections. This push comes nearly a year after Donald Trump garnered substantial backing from Indian-Americans, signaling a potential shift in political momentum.

The outreach strategy of the Democrats in both states revolves around a combination of cultural engagement, economic messaging, and criticism of the Trump administration’s policies affecting Indian-Americans and India-U.S. relations. Several senior Democrats and campaign operatives told HT that they aim to connect with the community by attending cultural and religious events, engaging with Indian-origin candidates, and addressing issues that directly affect Indian-American households and businesses.

Cultural Engagement and Visibility

Harini Krishnan, National Organising Chair for South Asians for America, emphasized that the Democrats are actively attending Diwali celebrations, garbas, navratri pujas, and other community gatherings. “Our candidates are going to community events with Indian-American voters. We’re supporting local candidates of Indian origin as well. We want the community to feel seen and heard,” she said.

Prominent candidates are leveraging these appearances to strengthen bonds with Indian-American voters. In New Jersey, Mikie Sherrill, the Democratic candidate for governor, has made multiple visits to community events, while in Virginia, India-born Senator Ghazala Hashmi, running for lieutenant governor, has similarly focused her campaign on outreach to the Indian diaspora.

Economic Messaging and Tariff Backlash

A central theme in the Democrats’ campaign messaging is affordability and support for Indian-American businesses, particularly small enterprises adversely affected by Trump-era policies. During the previous administration, a 50% tariff on Indian goods caused widespread concern among Indian-owned businesses, especially in New Jersey, which is home to around 440,000 Indian residents, accounting for 4.7% of the state population. Virginia, with 170,000 Indian residents, represents 2% of the state’s population.

Sherrill has highlighted her opposition to Trump’s tariffs, meeting with affected business owners and outlining plans to mitigate the economic impact. She has criticized her Republican rival, Jack Ciattarelli, for backing policies that she claims hurt Indian-American livelihoods. Democratic strategists told HT that this economic argument is a key differentiator to challenge the perception that Republicans are more business-friendly.

US-India Relations and H-1B Policies

In addition to domestic economic issues, Democrats are seeking to capitalize on Trump’s handling of U.S.-India relations, which has drawn criticism within the Indian-American community. Trump’s public objections to India’s oil imports from Russia, H-1B visa policy restrictions, and tariffs have contributed to a sense of alienation among older Indian-born voters and Indian-American business communities.

A Democratic strategist explained, “For a lot of older voters, many of whom were born and raised in India, these issues resonate strongly. They see how the previous administration’s policies impacted their businesses and families.”

Learning from 2024 and Digital Outreach

Democrats are particularly keen to avoid the setbacks of the 2024 election, when Indian-American support shifted toward Trump. Pew Research Institute data shows that while Joe Biden won Asian-American voters by a 40-point margin in 2020, Kamala Harris secured only 17 points among the same group in 2024, indicating a substantial swing toward Republicans. Indian-Americans, who traditionally vote Democratic, were part of this broader shift, prompting a more aggressive outreach strategy this cycle.

Beyond physical campaign events, the party has invested in multilingual digital campaigns and phone banks targeting thousands of South Asian voters, ensuring that messaging reaches communities with language-specific content. The goal is to combine cultural familiarity with issue-based campaigning to secure votes in both New Jersey and Virginia.

Voter Registration and Participation Challenges

Despite the focused outreach, Democrats acknowledge challenges with voter registration and turnout among Indian-Americans. Senator Vin Gopal, elected to the New Jersey Senate in 2017, noted that while the community is politically engaged, voting participation remains lower than desired, and many Indian-Americans have expressed a desire for greater representation in local boards, commissions, and school district leadership.

Parul Khemkha, chair of the South Asian caucus of the New Jersey Democratic State Committee, emphasized the critical role of Indian-American voters in tight races:

“That’s the cohort that actually moved towards the political right, and if we can pull them back, that’s going to be the margin of victory in a tight race.”

Candidates Leading the Outreach

In New Jersey, Mikie Sherrill has emphasized direct engagement with Indian-American business owners, addressing concerns about inflation, trade tariffs, and local economic development. In Virginia, Senator Ghazala Hashmi has similarly focused on community engagement and economic messaging.

Both candidates are leveraging their Indian-American heritage and familiarity with community concerns to resonate with voters. Harini Krishnan pointed out that neither party can afford to take Indian-American voters for granted:

“We can never be totally confident. I tell people that you should always think you are 10 points behind in an election. But if we keep doing voter outreach, our voters will turn out and will support Democratic nominees.”

Election Stakes and Prospects

With just over a week to go until the November 4 elections, Democrats are keeping the focus on Indian-American voters, whose turnout could be decisive in tight gubernatorial and assembly races. Current polling shows Democratic candidates Abigail Spanberger in Virginia and Mikie Sherrill in New Jersey leading their Republican rivals, but both races remain competitive.

Strategists see the Indian-American vote as a potential swing factor, particularly given the community’s history of high voter turnout relative to other Asian-origin groups and their concentration in districts critical for both gubernatorial and assembly races.

Conclusion

As the election day approaches, Democrats are emphasizing a dual strategy of cultural engagement and economic advocacy to regain Indian-American support lost during the 2024 election cycle. By addressing tariff impacts, business concerns, and U.S.-India relations, while actively participating in community events and ensuring visibility of Indian-origin candidates, the party hopes to mobilize a crucial voter bloc.

In a political environment where every vote counts, Indian-Americans are increasingly recognized as a strategically significant constituency, capable of influencing the outcome of close elections in New Jersey, Virginia, and potentially beyond.

Democrats’ concentrated efforts underscore the party’s recognition that winning back Indian-American voters is not just symbolic but may be pivotal to regaining momentum in key state and national contests.