Survey shows Biden has overwhelming support of Indian Americans
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Joe Biden and running mate Kamala Harris. Photo: Drew Angerer/Getty Images
Over two-thirds of Indian Americans say they will vote for Joe Biden for president, with about as many saying the U.S. is headed in the wrong direction, a survey out Wednesday indicates.
Why it matters: Indian Americans have seen increased influence as a voting bloc in recent years, as one of the fastest-growing, wealthiest and most educated demographics in the U.S. Still, the group's "political attitudes are woefully under-studied," the report's authors write.
- The new polling indicates that President Trump's attempts to court the community's vote — including a five-figure digital ad campaign targeting Indian American voters and a February rally in India — have done little to sway voters.
By the numbers: Some 22% of Indian Americans who are registered to vote say they will cast a ballot to re-elect Trump, compared with 72% for Biden, according to the poll by the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace.
- About 70% of those surveyed said they disapprove or strongly disapprove of the job Trump is doing. (15% disapprove; 55% strongly disapprove)
- 56% of Indian Americans said they identify as Democrats, compared with 15% who said they are Republicans. Another 22% said they are independent.
- 45% of those polled said Biden's selection of Sen. Kamala Harris (D-Calif.), who is the daughter of an Indian immigrant, as his running mate makes them more likely to vote for the former vice president.
- Indian Americans make up slightly more than 1% of the total U.S. population and less than 1% of all registered voters.
What they're saying: "The data show that Indian Americans continue to be strongly attached to the Democratic Party, with little indication of a shift toward the Republican Party," write Sumitra Badrinathan, Devesh Kapur and Milan Vaishnav, who authored the report.
- "In addition, Indian Americans view U.S.-India relations as a low priority issue in this electoral cycle, emphasizing instead nationally salient issues such as healthcare and the economy."
Go deeper: Kamala Harris and the political rise of America's Indian community
Methodology: The Indian American Attitudes Survey was conducted between Sept. 1 and Sept. 20, in partnership with YouGov. It has a margin of error of ±3.2%.
