Despite the historic potential of Kamala Harris becoming the first Indian American president, a new survey suggests she may face a challenging race among members of her own community in the 2024 election, Al Jazeera reports.
The Carnegie Endowment for International Peace survey found that while a majority of Indian American voters still favor Harris, the percentage has dipped slightly compared to 2020, when President Joe Biden won the community’s support.
The survey found that 61% of Indian American respondents plan to vote for Harris, a decrease of nearly 4% from Biden’s performance in 2020. Additionally, the community’s attachment to the Democratic Party has waned, with only 47% identifying as Democrats, down from 56% in 2020.
While the survey signals a slight shift in favor of the Republican nominee, former President Donald Trump, the researchers attributed it to a “modest shift” in preferences rather than a dramatic change. This aligns with the increased outreach efforts both parties have engaged in toward the growing Indian American community.
“The community is increasingly aware of its political power,” said Dr. [Insert Name], a political analyst at the Carnegie Endowment. “With prominent Indian American figures rising on both sides of the aisle, from Nikki Haley to Vivek Ramaswamy, this group is becoming more politically engaged and influential.”
With the election remaining incredibly tight, the survey results highlight the crucial role that Indian Americans could play in key battleground states. In Pennsylvania, Georgia, North Carolina, and Michigan, Indian Americans make up the largest Asian American community, and their numbers in states like Pennsylvania and Georgia exceed the margins of victory in the 2020 election.
While Harris’s national lead over Trump is shrinking, the race remains incredibly close, with the two candidates separated by less than 2 percentage points in seven crucial swing states.
