Thus far, this series has sketched a broad overview of the Indian American community in the United States – their role in politics, their behaviour as voting groups, and what influence they have (or don’t have) in lobbying.

Now, over the next few weeks, we will examine the prospects of the various Indian American candidates standing for elections in the upcoming US presidential election. As with any other ethnic group, a diverse range of drivers decide what makes a candidate stand for the US Congress. Unlike in countries where anti-incumbency may lead to parties or states being flipped every few years, the structure of the American party system and the political histories of specific constituencies along the progressive/conservative divide dictate who gets to run, and who gets to win. 

This week, we look at the prospects of two Indian American politicians contesting in two very different locations. The first, Shri Thanedar, is standing for elections from the region around Detroit, Michigan. The second, Sandeep Srivastava, is standing from the suburbs of Dallas, Texas. 

Both men have a few things in common. They are first-generation immigrants and ran successful businesses before turning to politics. Both are internal migrants in the US who lived in other parts of the country before moving to the states that they are now trying to represent. Both have lost high-profile political races in the past. And perhaps most importantly, they are both self-funding their respective campaigns.

First, let us look at a few basic statistics about the Congressional seats in which Indian Americans are standing for elections.