Survey Shows Indian-Americans Leaning Democratic Ahead of Midterms

A new survey by AAPI Data indicates that a large majority of Indian-American voters plan to support Democratic candidates in the upcoming November midterm elections. According to the survey, 66% of Indian-Americans said they intended to vote for Democratic candidates in House of Representatives elections, while 22% said they would back Republicans. The findings were similar for Senate races, with 66% favoring Democrats and 18% favoring Republicans.

The survey suggests a notable shift from the 2024 presidential election, when President Donald Trump made gains among Indian-American voters. A Carnegie Endowment survey conducted just before the 2024 poll found that 32% of the community planned to back Trump. The latest figures indicate that support has since weakened, though Trump retains more support among Indian-American men, with roughly 40% of those surveyed saying they planned to vote for him.

Broader Trends and Key Issues

The survey also highlighted broader trends among Asian-American voters. About 70% of respondents viewed President Trump unfavourably. A separate Carnegie Endowment report from 2026 found that 71% of Indian-American respondents disapproved of Trump's performance during the first year of his second term.

Economic issues are playing a prominent role in voter decisions, with the cost of living and inflation emerging as leading concerns. The survey showed Democrats holding a clear advantage on this front: 44% of respondents said they trusted Democrats more to handle the cost of living and inflation, while only 18% trusted Republicans more.

Foreign policy is also a significant factor, with 78% of respondents indicating that war and foreign policy were important or extremely important to them. This comes at a time when Washington remains entangled in a costly conflict with Iran.

Shifts in Party Identification

The survey also found shifts in party identification among Indian-Americans. Identification with the Democratic Party declined from 52% in 2020 to 46% in 2026, while Republican identification stood at 19%. Among Indian-Americans who did not identify as Republicans, 27% said they rejected the party because they considered it intolerant towards minorities, a figure that is 10 percentage points higher than in 2024.