BY VEENA RAO
Atlanta, GA, November 4, 2026: Indian American candidates Jyot Singh and Rohit Malhotra scored significant victories in Georgia’s November 3 midterm elections, winning seats in the state legislature and county government. Their victories came alongside electoral successes for other South Asian American candidates, including Saira Draper, Sheikh Rahman, Farooq Mughal and Akbar Ali.
One of the most notable victories was that of Jyot Singh, who became the first Sikh American elected to the Georgia General Assembly. Singh defeated Republican Yassin Moghazy in House District 97, which covers parts of Duluth, Peachtree Corners and Norcross, as well as Berkeley Lake in Gwinnett County. With approximately 99% of votes counted, Singh received 68% of the vote to Moghazy’s 32%.
The son of Sikh immigrants from India, Singh grew up in Norcross in a working-class family. A graduate of the Gwinnett School of Mathematics, Science and Technology, he attended Yale University on a full scholarship, graduating in 2021 with a degree in global affairs.
Singh has spoken publicly about his family’s financial struggles and his experience growing up in basement apartments and townhouses. He began working at age 15 to help support his family.
His campaign focused on affordability, healthcare, housing, public education and the concerns of immigrant and working-class communities. He won the Democratic primary in May and received endorsements from several elected officials and Indian American Impact, a national organization supporting South Asian American political representation.
Following his victory, Singh wrote on social media, “We won!!! Thank you Georgia! I’m honored to be your representative-elect in HD-97.”
Supporters gathered at the Guru Nanak Mission Society in Norcross to celebrate his election.
In Fulton County, Indian American Rohit Malhotra won the special election for County Commission District 4, securing approximately 67% of the vote in a four-way contest.
Malhotra received 46,103 votes, comfortably ahead of fellow Democrat Aaron Sampson, who received 16,906 votes, or approximately 24%. Natalie Hall and Karen Rene finished third and fourth, respectively.
The victory gave Malhotra a seat on the governing board of Georgia’s most populous county, representing a district that includes portions of Atlanta, East Point, Hapeville and College Park.
Raised in Atlanta, Malhotra is the founder of the Center for Civic Innovation, an organization focused on community engagement and civic leadership. He previously ran unsuccessfully for Atlanta City Council president in 2025. His County Commission campaign received the endorsement of former Georgia gubernatorial candidate Stacey Abrams.
The election also brought victories for several candidates from Georgia’s broader South Asian American community.
Pakistani American Democrat Saira Draper scored a landslide victory in Georgia State Senate District 44, securing 81,018 votes, or 92.5%, against Republican Ngozi Orabueze, who received 6,598 votes, or 7.5%.
Draper, whose family has roots in Pakistan and Spain, previously represented Georgia House District 90. She won the Democratic primary in May, defeating former state senator Nadine Thomas with 59.2% of the vote. Her victory marks her move from the Georgia House to the State Senate.
Pakistani American Democrat Farooq Mughal defeated Republican incumbent Sandy Donatucci in Georgia House District 105, winning approximately 60.8% of the vote to Donatucci’s 39.2%. Mughal received 15,248 votes, compared with 9,851 for Donatucci, with approximately 99% of votes counted. The result marked a Democratic pickup in the Georgia House.
Bangladeshi American State Senator Sheikh Rahman, a Democrat, secured another term representing Senate District 5 in Gwinnett County. Rahman ran unopposed in the general election, with preliminary results showing 35,101 votes.
Originally from Kishoreganj, Bangladesh, Rahman was first elected to the Georgia Senate in 2018, becoming the state’s first Muslim and Asian American state senator. He defeated Robin McCoy in the Democratic primary earlier this year.
Pakistani American Akbar Ali, who represents Georgia House District 106, also won reelection without opposition. Ali, who entered the legislature following a 2025 special election, became Georgia’s youngest state legislator at age 21.
Not all Indian American candidates were successful in their bids for public office.
In Forsyth County, Democrat Shuchita Patel challenged Republican incumbent Todd Levent for the District 3 seat on the Board of Commissioners. Levent retained his seat with 58.37% of the vote, while Patel received 41.63%.
Another Indian American Democrat, Vishal Srivastava, contested the Forsyth County Board of Education District 5 seat against Republican incumbent Mike Valdes. Valdes won reelection with 54.08% of the vote, while Srivastava received 45.92%.
The election results reflected the growing presence of Indian and South Asian Americans in Georgia politics, particularly in metro Atlanta, where candidates from immigrant backgrounds have increasingly sought positions in the General Assembly, county commissions and school boards.
The results remain unofficial pending certification by Georgia election authorities.
