Source: X formerly known as Twitter
Elections last Tuesday, November 7th in key battleground states that delivered strong victories for Democrats also resulted in the historic expansion of AAPI representation in the state halls of power.
In what appears to have been a forceful rebuke of current Republican MAGA extremism, mainstream voters passed constitutional protections for safe and legal abortions in the state of Ohio, re-elected Democratic Governor Andy Beshear in Kentucky, and delivered control of both houses of the state legislature to Democrats in Virginia despite the best efforts of the state's Republican Governor, Glenn Youngkin.
Adding insult to injury to Republican hopes of winning over AAPI voters, the breathtaking Democratic tidal wave also delivered historic wins for AAPIs on election day.
Democrats Vin Gopal won re-election to the New Jersey State Senate, Saddam Azlan Salim was elected to the Virginia State Senate, and Suhas Subramanyan and Kannan Srinivasan were elected to the Virginia General Assembly.
According to AsAmNews, Neil Makhija was elected as the first Indian American in Montgomery County outside Philadelphia to one of two majority party seats on the Board of Commissioners, Priya Tamilarasan became the first woman of color and Democrat to be elected to Gahanna city attorney, Minita Sanghavi and Vilk Vilkhu won elections for Saratoga Springs Finance Commissioner and Brighton Town Justice in Monroe County, respectively.
In New York City, Democrat Susan Zhuang beat Republican Ying Tan by a large margin in the race for City Council. According to Aaron Narraph Fernando (@aaronnarraph on X), Zhuang joined three other AAPI Democrats running for the city’s four most Asian districts to win by double digits in the neighborhoods of Flushing, Sunset Park, Elmhurst, and East Queens.
