Khanna, Bera, Wahab Advance As Some Indian American Hopefuls Fall Short

Three Indian American members of Congress, Ro Khanna, Ami Bera, and Shri Thanedar, advanced past their primary elections on Tuesday, while several other Indian American candidates failed to secure their party's nomination.

Khanna, a Democrat representing California's 17th District, defeated a primary challenger. Bera, also a Democrat from California's 6th District, won his primary race. Thanedar, a Democrat from Michigan's 13th District, also advanced.

Among those who fell short were Rishi Kumar, a Democrat running in California's 16th District, and Anita Malik, a Democrat in Arizona's 1st District. Both lost their primary contests.

The results underscore the mixed fortunes of Indian American candidates in the 2024 election cycle, with established incumbents maintaining their seats while newcomers struggled to break through.