NRI PULSE STAFF REPORT
WASHINGTON, DC, October 27, 2026: One in four South Asian American voters who supported President Donald Trump in the 2024 presidential election now plan to vote for Democratic congressional candidates in the November 3 midterm elections, according to a new nationwide survey.
The poll, commissioned by Indian American Impact and conducted by HIT Strategies, found that 25% of likely South Asian American voters who backed Trump in 2024 intend to vote Democratic this November, while 67% plan to support Republican candidates.
Overall, 60% of likely South Asian American voters said they planned to vote for Democratic congressional candidates, compared with 22% who favored Republicans. Another 17% remained undecided.
Among those who voted for Kamala Harris in 2024, 96% said they intended to support Democratic candidates in the midterms.
The findings suggest a shift in voting preferences among some South Asian Americans who supported Trump two years ago, although the survey does not establish what is driving that change.
The poll also highlights the potential electoral significance of South Asian American voters in closely contested states.
Michigan is home to approximately 187,000 South Asian residents, according to Indian American Impact. Nearly 30,000 registered South Asian voters in the state did not vote in the 2022 midterm elections, a number greater than the roughly 19,000 votes that decided Michigan’s 2024 U.S. Senate race.
In Texas, which has more than 700,000 South Asian residents, nearly 100,000 registered South Asian voters did not participate in the 2022 elections.
These figures underscore the size of the South Asian American electorate that did not participate in the previous midterms, although they do not indicate which party those voters might support.
“South Asian American voters are paying attention,” said Chintan Patel, executive director of Indian American Impact. “They want leaders who will bring down the cost of living and protect their healthcare, and they are living through an unprecedented rise in hate. It comes as no surprise that a quarter of Trump’s 2024 voters in our community plan to vote Democratic. This community can make the margin, and we are working to reach every voter who can.”
Cost of living emerged as the leading concern among likely South Asian American voters, with 65% identifying it as a top issue. Healthcare followed at 53%, jobs and wages at 33%, and education at 28%.
Cost of living ranked as the top concern among Democrats, Republicans and independents alike, suggesting that economic pressures cut across party lines within the community.
The survey also revealed widespread experiences of discrimination.
An overwhelming 90% of registered South Asian American voters said they had either personally experienced discrimination or knew someone who had. Nearly half, 48%, reported experiencing discrimination themselves.
Among those who personally experienced discrimination, 63% most often cited encounters with other Americans unfamiliar with South Asian cultures. Another 24% reported discrimination at work or school.
At the same time, 75% of respondents said they felt fully accepted as Americans, highlighting the complex experiences of a community that can feel a strong sense of belonging while also encountering prejudice.
Nearly nine in ten respondents, or 89%, said that what happens to other South Asians in America affects their own lives.
The survey also found a connection between this sense of shared identity and political preferences. Among likely voters who felt strongly affected by what happened to other South Asians, 71% planned to vote Democratic.
In addition, 58% of respondents who said events affecting other South Asians had a large personal impact opposed the Trump administration’s Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) operations in American cities.
The findings come amid heightened debate over immigration enforcement and reports of anti-South Asian discrimination across the country. However, the poll does not establish whether these concerns directly caused any change in voting intentions.
The survey also found widespread frustration with elected officials.
Nearly eight in ten respondents, or 79%, believed elected officials quickly lose touch with ordinary people, while 67% felt public officials did not care what people like them thought. Another 43% said people like them had no say in what the government does.
Despite that frustration, 78% believed their vote could bring about change.
Independent voters emerged as a potentially important group. Pure independents, defined as voters who do not lean toward either major party, accounted for 17% of registered respondents. Among them, 72% remained undecided about their congressional vote, while 55% said they had not voted in the 2024 presidential election.
Only 63% of these independent voters believed their vote could make a difference, compared with 78% of respondents overall.
The survey also identified a group
