Indian American and South Asian women in politics, healthcare, media and public service are among the 300 women named by Washingtonian magazine to its 2026 list of the “Most Powerful Women in Washington.”
The annual list, published September 30, recognizes women influencing government, business, law, education, healthcare, media, arts, nonprofits and other sectors in the nation’s capital and surrounding region.
Among the prominent South Asian names on the list are Second Lady of the United States Usha Vance, Virginia Lt. Gov. Ghazala Hashmi and Maryland Lt. Gov. Aruna Miller.
READ: Staten Island deli manager rewards students for good grades as fundraiser tops $600,000 (September 30, 2026)
Vance is listed under “National Politics.” She is the first Indian American to serve as second lady and is a former litigation attorney who clerked for Chief Justice John Roberts and then-Judge Brett Kavanaugh. She has also focused on childhood literacy during her time as second lady, including the Summer Reading Challenge and “Storytime with the Second Lady” podcast.
Hashmi, who was born in Hyderabad, India, is included under “Local Politics.” She became Virginia’s 43rd lieutenant governor in January 2026. The Virginia lieutenant governor’s office describes her as the first South Asian American elected to statewide office in Virginia and the first Muslim woman elected to statewide office in the United States.
Miller, who was born in Andhra Pradesh, India, is also featured under “Local Politics.” She became Maryland’s lieutenant governor in 2023 after serving in the Maryland House of Delegates. In July 2026, she was elected treasurer of the National Lieutenant Governors Association’s 2026-27 executive committee.
The list also includes women with South Asian ties and leadership roles beyond elected politics.
In healthcare, Washingtonian names Dr. Rina Bansal, president of Inova Alexandria Hospital and senior vice president of Inova. Bansal, who speaks Hindi and Punjabi, has risen through several leadership positions at Inova since joining the health system in 2008. She is leading plans for a replacement Inova Alexandria Hospital expected to open in 2028.
READ: Hyderabad-born Ghazala Hashmi becomes Virginia Lieutenant Governor (January 20, 2026)
In media, Washingtonian includes Swati Sharma, editor-in-chief and publisher of Vox, and Amna Nawaz, co-anchor and co-managing editor of “PBS NewsHour.” Goli Sheikholeslami, CEO of Politico, is also included.
Radha Muthiah, president and CEO of the Capital Area Food Bank, is included in the nonprofit, philanthropy and religion category.
Washingtonian said its editors consulted experts across fields to identify women who were “making things happen” and influencing institutions and communities. The magazine also noted that its list includes women across the political spectrum and said it was not intended to endorse either side of the political divide.
The 2026 list comes as the composition of Washington’s political leadership continues to change.