Vivek Ramaswamy loses after ugly campaign

Even as Indian-American Democrats enjoyed several victories, the Republican side told a rather different story. Vivek Ramaswamy, entrepreneur and former presidential hopeful who enjoyed Donald Trump's endorsement and considerable attention from the Republican establishment, lost the Ohio gubernatorial contest to Democrat Amy Acton after an ugly campaign which was widely criticised.In Arizona, Democrat Amish Shah was enjoying a promising election night, leading former NFL kicker Jay Feely in the contest for the state's 1st Congressional District, which includes most of Phoenix and Scottsdale. With 54.9% against Feely's 43.2% in the early returns, Shah appeared well positioned to become another Indian-American addition to Congress. The established Indian-American Dem contingent had plenty to celebrate.

Ami Bera won an eighth term in California, while Ro Khanna retained his Silicon Valley seat and Pramila Jayapal secured a sixth term in Washington state. Suhas Subramanyam also held Virginia's 10th Congressional District outside Washington DC, consolidating the desi presence in House.Meanwhile, Los Angeles offered perhaps the most intriguing unfinished chapter of the Indian-American electoral story. Nithya Raman, the Kerala-born urban planner and Los Angeles City Council member of a socialist democrat persuasion, was locked in a dead heat with establishment Democrat Karen Bass, with leads changing frequently.

There were victories beyond Capitol Hill, too. Maryland's Aruna Miller retained her lieutenant-governorship alongside Governor Wes Moore; Wisconsin Attorney General Josh Kaul won another term; and Aparna Raj won Washington DC Council's Ward 1, which includes some of the most storied areas in capital, including Adams Morgan, Kalorama and Columbia Heights.