US midterms: Why 1 in 4 South Asian Americans who voted for Trump now plan to back Democrats

Concerns over discrimination and the cost of living are influencing South Asian American voters, with at least 25 per cent of those who backed US President Donald Trump in the 2024 presidential election planning to support Democratic candidates in the 3 November midterm elections, according to a survey.

The survey by advocacy group Indian American Impact also points to the potential significance of South Asian American voters in closely contested states. It found that cost of living, healthcare, jobs and wages, and education were the key electoral issues for respondents.

Cost of living and healthcare lead voter concerns

Of the 800 registered South Asian voters surveyed, 87 per cent were Indian-American. The remaining 13 per cent were Pakistani, Bangladeshi, Sri Lankan, Nepali, Bhutanese, Maldivian, Afghani, Khmer and Burmese people.

Cost of living was identified as a key issue by 65 per cent of respondents, followed by healthcare at 53 per cent, jobs and wages at 33 per cent, and education at 28 per cent.

Among those who voted for Kamala Harris in the 2024 presidential election, 96 per cent said they planned to vote for a Democratic candidate in the upcoming polls.

Among South Asian Americans who voted for Trump, 67 per cent continued to back the Republicans, while 25 per cent said they would support Democratic candidates.

Early voting begins amid tight Texas contest

The findings come as early voting has begun in several states, including Texas, where Democratic nominee James Talarico is in a tight race against Republican Ken Paxton, who is supported by Trump.

Vasant Bhatt, a 21-year-old second-generation Indian American who interned on Senator Ted Cruz's election campaign in 2024, said in a social media post that he had voted for Talarico.

"I just cast my ballot for James Talarico. As a second-generation Indian American, I am thoroughly disgusted by the xenophobia, racial resentment, and increasingly brazen attacks on my identity," Bhatt wrote.

Survey highlights concerns over discrimination

The survey found that 90 per cent of registered voters had experienced discrimination or knew someone who had. This included 48 per cent who said they had personally faced discrimination.

“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,” Chintan Patel, executive director of Indian American Impact, said in a statement.

The survey also found that 16 per cent of respondents had not voted in any general election since 2020.

Overall, 78 per cent of those surveyed said their vote could bring about change, while 79 per cent felt that elected officials quickly lost touch with ordinary people. Another 67 per cent said public officials did not care about the views of people like them, while 43 per cent felt they had no say in government decisions.

South Asian voters could play key role in close contests

The survey highlighted the potential significance of South Asian American voters in closely contested states. Michigan is home to roughly 187,000 South Asian residents, while nearly 30,000 registered South Asian voters in the state did not vote in 2022. That figure is higher than the roughly 19,000 votes that decided the state's 2024 Senate race.

Texas is home to more than 700,000 South Asian residents, and nearly 100,000 registered South Asian voters in the state did not vote in 2022.

The Indian-American community has a strong presence in states including California, Texas, New Jersey, New York, Washington, Illinois, Pennsylvania and Georgia.

In battleground states such as Georgia, Pennsylvania, Michigan and North Carolina, even one or two per cent of the vote can swing an election in favour of a particular candidate.

The survey indicates that while most South Asian Americans who backed Trump or Harris in 2024 plan to remain with their respective parties, a quarter of Trump's voters surveyed intend to support Democrats, with economic concerns and experiences of discrimination among the issues shaping their choices.