Indian American Republican Enters Race for New York’s 18th Congressional District, Eyes Upset of Democrat Pat Ryan
- As the only declared Republican challenger to Ryan, Thind is likely to avoid a contested primary, allowing him to focus resources on the general election campaign.
A Sikh entrepreneur and media executive from Punjab has entered the 2026 race for New York’s 18th Congressional District, bringing a platform focused on protecting jobs from artificial intelligence, promoting Hudson Valley tourism, and challenging what he calls a changed political environment in the Democrat-held seat.
Sharanjit Singh Thind filed his candidacy with the Federal Election Commission in September 2025, according to The Current, a local news outlet covering Beacon and the Hudson Valley. The 18th District, which includes Beacon and stretches across parts of the Hudson Valley north of Manhattan, is now a two-way race between Thind and incumbent Democrat Pat Ryan.
An Uphill Battle
The race presents significant challenges for Thind. Ballotpedia reports that in the 2024 election, incumbent Pat Ryan defeated Republican challenger Alison Esposito by 14 percentage points.
However, Thind argues that the political environment has shifted in Republicans’ favor. Speaking to multiple news outlets, he pointed to immigration policy changes under the Trump administration as a key factor.
“People were fed up seeing hotels and motels teeming with illegal migrants housed in the Hudson Valley under President Biden and Mayor Adams,” Thind told the news media. “Under President Trump, that threat to law and order has been cleared.”
Thind also expressed concern about New York City Mayor-elect Zohran Mamdani, whom he described as a “self-declared socialist and freebies-promising” leader whose election is “worrying all,” according to his campaign materials. This contrasts sharply with Mamdani’s historic victory and progressive platform that energized diverse communities across New York City.
Thind’s campaign represents part of a broader effort by Republicans to field candidates who can appeal to diverse constituencies while maintaining the party’s core economic and immigration positions.
Background and Experience
According to his LinkedIn profile, Thind is the founder and CEO of NuWay Media Group, a marketing company based in Manhattan. He holds an MBA and a journalism degree, and has served as Editor-Publisher of The South Asian Insider for nearly two decades.
The Current notes that Thind grew up in a Sikh family in Kapurthala, Punjab, India. Multiple outlets report he arrived in the United States in the early 2000s, worked for several companies, and eventually founded his own advertising agency on Madison Avenue. He recently authored a book titled “The Beginning – Mad Men of Nu Way Advertising,” chronicling his experience in the advertising industry, according to news reports.
Thind plans to invest personal funds to launch his campaign and will rely on small donor contributions, which are capped at $3,535 per individual for federal House races. He clarified that no government matching funds are available for Congressional candidates.
The District and Its Demographics
New York’s 18th Congressional District underwent redistricting and has been competitive territory in recent election cycles. Ballotpedia reports that in 2022, Pat Ryan won a special election to fill the seat and then won the general election in November of that year, defeating Republican Colin Schmitt.
The district’s evolution and Ryan’s ability to win in both 2022 and 2024—the latter by a substantial 14-point margin—suggests Democrats have consolidated their hold on the seat, though Republicans continue to view it as potentially competitive given the right circumstances and candidate.
Thind’s campaign represents part of a broader effort by Republicans to field candidates who can appeal to diverse constituencies while maintaining the party’s core economic and immigration positions. His background as a Sikh immigrant from India running on a platform that includes criticism of immigration policy adds complexity to national debates about the Republican Party’s relationship with immigrant communities.
As the only declared Republican challenger to Ryan according to Ballotpedia’s records, Thind is likely to avoid a contested primary, allowing him to focus resources on the general election campaign. However, with no campaign finance reports yet filed, the scale and viability of his operation remains unclear.
Voters interested in learning more about Thind’s positions can visit his campaign website at ThindForCongress.com, according to news reports.