A quarter of South Asian Trump voters plan to back Democrats in midterms, survey says

• 25% of South Asian Trump voters plan to back Democrats in midterms
• Survey of 800 South Asian registered voters by Indian American Impact
• Cost of living and health care are top concerns
• 90% say they have experienced or witnessed discrimination

A QUARTER of South Asian Americans who voted for President Donald Trump in 2024 plan to back Democratic candidates in the November 3 midterm elections, according to a survey by advocacy group Indian American Impact.

The survey of 800 South Asian registered voters found that 67 per cent of Trump’s 2024 voters still support Republicans, while 25 per cent plan to vote for Democrats. Among those who voted for Kamala Harris, 96 per cent plan to back Democrats.

“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,” said Chintan Patel, the group’s executive director.

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Indian Americans made up 87 per cent of respondents. The rest were of Pakistani, Bangladeshi, Sri Lankan, Nepali and other heritage.

Cost of living tops concerns

Respondents named cost of living (65 per cent), health care (53 per cent), jobs and wages (33 per cent) and education (28 per cent) as their main issues.

Discrimination was also a concern. Ninety per cent said they had experienced discrimination or knew someone who had, including 48 per cent who said they had faced it personally.

Vasant Bhatt, a 21-year-old second-generation Indian American who interned on Sen. Ted Cruz’s 2024 campaign, said on social media that he had voted early for Democrat James Talarico in Texas’ tight Senate race against Trump-backed Republican Ken Paxton.

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“As a second-generation Indian American, I am thoroughly disgusted by the xenophobia, racial resentment, and increasingly brazen attacks on my identity,” Bhatt wrote.

Untapped voters

The survey found 16 per cent of respondents had not voted in a general election since 2020. While 78 per cent said their vote could bring change, 79 per cent said elected officials quickly lose touch with ordinary people.

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The group pointed to the potential impact of South Asian voters in close races.

Michigan has about 187,000 South Asian residents, and nearly 30,000 registered South Asian voters skipped the 2022 election, more than the roughly 19,000 votes that decided the state’s 2024 Senate race.

Texas has more than 700,000 South Asian residents, and nearly 100,000 registered South Asian voters did not vote in 2022.