25% of 2024 Trump voters plan to vote Democratic for Congress
Our Bureau
Washington, DC
Indian American Impact released findings from a nationwide poll of 800 South Asian American registered voters, conducted by HIT Strategies. Among likely voters, 60% plan to vote Democratic for Congress, and 25% of those who voted for Trump in 2024 plan to do the same. The poll also finds that 90% of registered voters have faced discrimination or know someone who has, including 48% who experienced it personally.
The numbers matter most where races are close. Michigan is home to roughly 187,000 South Asian residents, and nearly 30,000 registered South Asian voters did not vote in 2022, more than the roughly 19,000 votes that decided the state’s 2024 Senate race. Texas is home to more than 700,000 South Asian residents, and nearly 100,000 registered South Asian voters did not vote in 2022.
Key findings from the survey:
- Democrats lead the generic congressional ballot among likely voters, 60% to 22%, with 17% undecided. 96% of likely voters who backed Harris in 2024 plan to vote Democratic. Only 67% of likely Trump voters plan to vote Republican, while 25% plan to vote Democratic.
- Discrimination is near-universal. 90% of registered voters have faced it or know someone who has. Those who experienced it personally most often cite other Americans unfamiliar with South Asian cultures (63%). 89% say what happens to South Asians in this country affects their personal lives.
- Voters believe in their vote, but doubt politicians are listening. 78% say their vote can make change. 79% say elected officials quickly lose touch with regular people, 67% say public officials do not care what people like them think, and 43% say people like them have no say in what government does.
- Cost of living and healthcare lead. Among likely voters, 65% name cost of living and 53% name healthcare as top issues, followed by jobs and wages (33%) and education (28%). Cost of living ranks first among Democrats, Independents, and Republicans alike.
- A movable middle is waiting to be reached. Pure Independents make up 17% of registered voters. 72% are undecided, and 55% did not vote in 2024. Only 63% of them say their vote has the power to make change, compared with 78% of all voters.
- Unengaged voters can still be reached. 16% of registered voters have not voted in any general election since 2020. 74% of them still say their vote has power.
“South Asian American voters are paying attention,” said Chintan Patel, Executive Director of Indian American Impact. “They want leaders who will bring down the cost of living and protect their healthcare, and they are living through an unprecedented rise in hate. It comes as no surprise that a quarter of Trump’s 2024 voters in our community plan to vote Democratic. This community can make the margin, and we are working to reach every voter who can.”
HIT Strategies surveyed 800 registered voters nationwide who identify as South Asian American from September 18 to 26, 2026, using live caller interviews and text to web from the L2 voter file. Likely voters are those who participated in at least one of the past three general elections. The margin of error is plus or minus 3.88 points for registered voters and plus or minus 4.42 points for likely voters.