President Donald Trump and the Republican Party are facing a potential electoral challenge among Indian-American voters ahead of the November 2026 midterm elections, with a new survey showing a strong preference for Democratic candidates.
The 2026 Asian American Voter Survey, conducted by Asian and Pacific Islander American Vote and AAPI Data, found that Indian-American voters remain one of the strongest Democratic-leaning groups among Asian-American communities.
66% back Democrats
According to the survey, 66% of Indian-American voters said they support Democratic candidates for the Senate, compared with 22% who preferred Republicans.
A similar pattern emerged in House races, where 66% backed Democratic candidates, while 18% supported Republicans and 9% preferred another party.
The findings indicate that Democrats currently retain a sizeable advantage among Indian-American voters as both parties prepare for the November elections.
Trump's approval remains low
The survey also recorded a largely negative assessment of Trump among Indian-American voters.
Around 74% said they viewed Trump unfavourably, including 56% who held a very unfavourable opinion. Only 20% viewed him favourably, with 7% expressing a very favourable view and 13% somewhat favourable.
The findings broadly correspond with an earlier 2026 Indian American Attitudes Survey by the Carnegie Endowment, which found widespread dissatisfaction with Trump's handling of the domestic economy, immigration and US-India relations.
Cost of living emerges as key issue
Economic concerns appear to be playing an important role in the political preferences of Asian-American voters.
The broader survey found that 90% of Asian-American voters considered cost of living and inflation very or extremely important when deciding how to vote.
Democrats also held a significant advantage over Republicans among the wider Asian-American electorate, with 60% supporting Democratic Senate candidates compared with 24% for Republicans.
High voter enthusiasm
Indian-American voters also reported strong interest in participating in the midterms.
The survey found that 92% of Indian-American registered voters planned to vote in November, with 74% saying they were absolutely certain they would vote and another 23% saying they were fairly certain.
About 43% said they were more enthusiastic about voting than usual, suggesting that the community could have a meaningful presence at the ballot box.
A changing political landscape
The survey does not necessarily indicate that every Indian-American voter has moved toward Democrats. Earlier Carnegie research found that Indian-Americans continue to lean Democratic but have become somewhat less attached to the party. Democratic identification declined from 52% in 2020 to 46% in 2026, while Republican identification rose from 15% to 19%.
That suggests dissatisfaction with Trump does not automatically translate into stronger Democratic identification across the entire community.
Still, with the November midterms approaching, the latest findings highlight the importance of Indian-American voters as a potentially influential electoral constituency in closely contested races.
