Indian American Democrat Pramila Jayapal has won re-election to the U.S. House of Representatives, securing another term in Washington’s 7th Congressional District in the U.S. midterm elections on Nov. 3.
Jayapal defeated Republican challenger Nirav Sheth in the Seattle-area district, where the two candidates of Indian descent contested the same House seat from opposing sides of the political spectrum.
According to The Associated Press election results, Jayapal received 177,700 votes, accounting for 87.5% of the votes counted. Sheth secured 24,654 votes, or 12.1%. The Associated Press called the race for Jayapal after 59% of the votes had been reported, according to the results available.
First elected to Congress in 2016, Jayapal represents Washington’s 7th Congressional District, which includes most of Seattle and neighbouring communities such as Shoreline, Vashon Island and parts of Burien and Normandy Park. A progressive Democrat, she has established herself as a prominent voice on immigration reform, workers’ rights and policies affecting immigrant communities.
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Immigration policy has been a major focus of Jayapal’s legislative work, particularly her efforts to create a pathway to citizenship for undocumented immigrants and reform the country’s immigration enforcement and detention systems.
Her positions have also drawn attention from Indian professionals and families dealing with long waits for employment-based green cards. Jayapal has supported eliminating per-country limits on employment-based immigrant visas, which contribute to lengthy backlogs for applicants from countries such as India and China.
She has also defended the H-1B visa program, which allows U.S. employers to hire foreign workers in specialized occupations, and opposed efforts to restrict work authorisation for spouses of H-1B visa holders.
Jayapal has further backed legislation aimed at providing permanent legal protections and a pathway to citizenship for Dreamers, who were brought to the United States as children, as well as immigrants covered by Temporary Protected Status.
Her re-election keeps a prominent Indian American lawmaker in Congress at a time when immigration, work visas and legal status remain important issues for immigrant communities across the United States.
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Born in India, Jayapal moved to the United States at the age of 16 to attend Georgetown University. She later earned an MBA from Northwestern University’s Kellogg School of Management. In 2016, she became the first South Asian American woman elected to the U.S. House of Representatives. She is also among the naturalised citizens serving in Congress.
Her Republican opponent, Sheth, also has Indian roots. He served in the U.S. Marine Corps from 2011 to 2014 and earned an associate degree from the Government Polytechnic in Gujarat, India, in 2006. His professional background includes business ownership and executive leadership.
The contest reflected the growing visibility of Indian Americans in U.S. politics, with two candidates of Indian origin competing for the same congressional seat despite their contrasting political affiliations. Jayapal’s victory allows her to continue representing the largely Democratic Seattle-area district and advancing her legislative priorities in the House.