Austin City Council Member Zohaib "Zo" Qadri, with hat and black shirt, makes an appearance at a Zilker neighborhood event in 2025. Photo: Sara Diggins/The Austin American-Statesman via Getty Images
The population growth of Indian Americans has long-term political consequences.
As of 2021, the U.S. Census Bureau estimated more than 450,000 Indian Americans in Texas — almost double from 2010.
Why it matters: 68% of Indian American registered voters identify as Democrats or lean Democratic, per a 2023 Pew Research Center survey.
"Indian Americans are increasingly visible in national politics," Sara Sadhwani, an assistant professor of politics at Pomona College and a senior researcher at AAPI Data, observed last year.
Zoom in: While there are far fewer South Asian candidates in the Austin area than in greater Houston, they are running for and hold key positions here.
Immigration attorney Pooja Sethi earlier this month won the Democratic nomination to represent Texas House District 47, in western Travis County.
Austin City Council Member Zohaib "Zo" Qadri, who represents Central Austin and parts of South Austin, is running for reelection this year.
Longtime Austin ISD school board member and former president Arati Singh is the first Indian American to serve on the board.
What they're saying: Qadri, a Pakistani American and a Muslim, tells Axios "it's not lost on me what my representation means" for other South Asians — especially as top state elected officials designate some Muslim groups as foreign terrorist organizations.
The bottom line: There are "absolutely" more South Asians running for office as the community aims for political representation, Chanda Parbhoo, executive director of SAAVETX — a nonprofit that works to boost South Asian voter turnout and advocates for progressive policies — tells Axios.
South Asians are a "very educated base of voters and we are up for grabs," she says.
