Fewer Indian Americans Support Democratic Party Than Last Election Cycle 

Indian Americans are moving away from the Democratic Party, according to new research from the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace. While (47%) of Indian Americans identify as Democrats, that represents a decline from 56% who said so in 2020, the Indian American Attitude Survey (IAAS) from Carnegie and YouGov says. The share of Indian Americans identifying as Republicans increased from 15% to 21%, and the number of Independents also rose — 22% to 26%. 

Although 61% of registered Indian American voter respondents plan to vote for Harris, the survey notes that their attachment to the party has declined. On the other side, 32% of Indian Americans intend to vote for Trump. However, those from the community who support Trump hold lukewarm views toward prominent Indian American Republicans. “Respondents rate Nikki Haley, Vivek Ramaswamy, and Usha Vance (the wife of Republican vice presidential nominee JD Vance) unfavorably,” the survey says. “However, there is evidence of asymmetric polarization: Democrats rate prominent Republicans worse than Republicans assess leading Democrats,” according to authors  Sumitra Badrinathan, Devesh Kapur, and Milan Vaishnav. 

At the same time the authors note that the GOP’s “disadvantage with Indian Americans goes beyond these personalities.” They say the “Republican disadvantage with Indian Americans is rooted in policy,: and cite data suggesting that “the Republican Party is out of sync with multiple policy positions held by members of the community. When Democrats are asked why they do not identify as Republicans, they cite the latter’s intolerance of minorities, its stance on abortion, and ties to Christian evangelicalism above all”

The survey comes with barely a week left for the elections, and a record number of voters have already cast their vote. The race between former president Donald Trump and Vice President Kamala Harris appears to be extremely close. “While national polls indicate a slim lead for Harris in the popular vote, the outcome will likely turn on tens of thousands of voters in a handful of key swing states,” authors say. There are roughly 2.6 million eligible Indian American voters today, authors study estimate, adding that while the community’s political preferences are much discussed, they are “ less studied.”

Key Findings 

The survey also found “a new, striking gender gap in voting preferences” Sixty-seven percent of Indian American women intend to vote for Harris while 53 percent of men, “a significantly smaller share,” say they plan to vote for Harris, the survey found out.  “Twenty-two percent of women intend to vote for Trump while a significantly larger share of men, 39 percent, plan to cast their ballots for him.” Among younger voters, 60 percent of women say they will vote for Harris, but men say they will vote for Harris and Trump in roughly equal proportions.

Another “top-tier policy issue” especially for Democrats and women is abortion, the survey revealed. “Abortion and reproductive rights are a highly salient issue for Indian Americans this election year, ranking as their second-most-important policy concern after inflation/prices and tied with the economy and jobs.”

Heightened Attention to Indian Americans 

Although the Indian diaspora comprises a small share of the overall electorate, several factors account for the heightened attention to this group in this election year.  F

See Also

Office of Personnel Management Director Kiran Ahuja to Step Down Next Month

The authors stated several factors which account for the heightened attention to Indian Americans in this election year. One of the main reasons is the community’s rapid growth. “Between 2010 and 2020, the Indian American community has grown by 50 percent,” they said, “making it the second-largest immigrant community by country of origin, trailing only Mexican Americans.” Furthermore, Indian Americans are what are called “high propensity” voters; data from the Indian American Attitudes Survey (IAAS) suggest that 96 percent of registered Indian American voters are likely to vote in this November’s elections.

The community’s elevated socioeconomic status has made it an attractive target for campaigns run by both parties, authors say, adding that “the median household income for Indian Americans is roughly $153,000, more than double the figure for the country as a whole.” Simultaneously, “a significantly higher share of Indian Americans, relative to other groups, holds higher education degrees,” they add. 

These are reasons why the community is” being actively courted by political donors, activists, and parties from across the spectrum, both Democrat and Republican,” the authors state. “Moreover, as the share of Indian Americans becoming U.S. citizens increases every year, these new voters are less likely to be guided by deeply entrenched partisan beliefs relative to those born in the United States,” they note.  “These factors imply that Indian Americans could potentially be swayed by both sides of the aisle.”

There is also increased attention on the political views of Indian Americans this election year because of Kamala Harris. The Republican campaign has also turned the spotlight on the Indian American community, due to  Usha Vance, whose parents hai from Andhra Pradesh.