Washington | Suhas Subramanyam, who served as an advisor to President Barack Obama, has been re-elected as a member of the US House of Representatives.
Subramanyam, 40, won from Virginia's 10th congressional district, polling over 61.5 per cent of the vote against Republican Dave Beckwith, who managed to win 36.4 per cent of the ballots cast.
Born in Houston to Indian parents, took lessons of service while attending college at Tulane University in New Orleans, where he helped organise volunteers to rebuild the communities affected by Hurricane Katrina.
He served on Capitol Hill as a policy aide, where he worked to expand and improve health care access to millions of Americans, helped build a bipartisan coalition in support of immigration reform, and drafted legislation to increase job opportunities and funding for veterans, seniors, and working families.
After earning his law degree with honours at Northwestern University, Subramanyam served as a White House technology policy advisor to President Obama.
After a stint in the White House, Subramanyam started his own small business in Loudoun County and also served as a volunteer EMT and firefighter.
He was elected to the Virginia General Assembly in 2019 and served for two terms. Subramanyam was also a member of the Virginia State Senate before being elected to the US House of Representatives in 2024.
US vote in most consequential elections; early surveys predict change
Americans voted in the most consequential midterm elections, which early surveys predicted as a rebuke to President Donald Trump, signalling a mood for change.
Over 210 million Americans were eligible to vote in the elections, which began at 6.00 am eastern time on Tuesday for 435 seats of the US House of Representatives, 37 seats of the US Senate, 36 posts of state governors and a slew of local public offices.
Polling was over in Indiana and Kentucky at 6.00 pm eastern time on Tuesday (4.30 am India time Wednesday) and would close in a staggered manner till past midnight across different time zones in the US.
According to some preliminary national results of CNN's Voter Poll, voters were broadly unhappy with the state of the nation, the condition of the economy and Trump's job performance.
Trump was in his White House office throughout the day with his advisors as Americans lined up to vote at polling booths across the country.
On Tuesday afternoon, he shared endorsements for Republican candidates in a series of posts on X.
Speaking to staffers and volunteers at a phone bank in Washington, House Democratic leader Hakeem Jeffries said the Democrats were on the "brink of dramatic change" and on the "brink" of taking back the House.
"We're going to deliver a Congress that actually puts the American people first," he said.
A Fox News voters' survey found that the most important issue facing the country is the economy, followed closely by the state of democracy.
At the White House, Trump was watching the pre-election results coverage on Fox News but complained about a liberal commentator on the television channel.
"Watching the Pre-Election Results on Fox News, but I can't stand Jessica Tarlov's voice - DUMB AS A ROCK, but it's the voice that gets me. Have to go somewhere else until that LOSER is off the air - I'll be back later," Trump wrote on Truth Social.
Throughout the day, Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins and Interior Secretary Doug Burgham and Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin spoke to reporters about the achievements of the Trump administration.
Secretary of State Marco Rubio was seen entering the West Wing of the White House and indicated that he would not like to speak.
In a post on X, Vice President J D Vance sought to remind voters about the Trump administration's effort to cut taxes over the past year and a half.
"We ended taxes on overtime. We ended taxes on tips. We ended taxes on Social Security," Vance wrote on the social media platform.
On polling day, Trump sprung a surprise by announcing that the US will stop providing Israel USD 4 billion in aid from next year, which Democrat Ro Khanna described as a desperate attempt to stave off a Blue tsunami.
The elections will decide whether President Trump's Republican Party retains control of the House of Representatives and the Senate, the two chambers of the US Congress, or, as opinion polls are predicting, the Democratic Party wrests control of at least the House if not the Senate, also in the final two years of Trump's second term in office.
On the eve of the elections, the US launched limited strikes on Iran's Qesham island in the Hormuz Strait. Officials said that the strikes were in response to Iran firing at a US aircraft.
A number of Indian American candidates are in the electoral fray for posts ranging from Governor to city council members. Republican Vivek Ramaswamy is locked in a close race for Ohio Governor against Amy Acton.
Democrat Nithya Raman, who was born in Kerala, is locked in a keen contest with her former boss Karen Bass for the post of Mayor of Los Angeles, the US's second-largest city.
Indian-American lawmakers Ro Khanna, Ami Bera, Pramila Jayapal and Suhas Subramanyam are seeking re-election to the US House of Representatives, while fellow Democrats Pia Dandiya and Amish Shah are in the fray in competitive races to make their debut as Congresspersons.
If the pre-poll forecasts come true and Democrats take control of the US Congress, it will allow for deeper Congressional scrutiny and checks of Trump's actions, which will severely limit his ability to push his agenda. He will, however, retain the power to govern through executive orders, which will be valid for two years.
Trump acknowledged the possibility of his wings being clipped but indicated that he will not allow Congress to slow him down.
"I guess I'll become Mr Veto," Trump told the New York Post's Pod Force One podcast in response to a question on Republicans losing control of both Houses of the US Congress, referring to the presidential power to veto actions by Congress.
The Democrats are hoping to flip seven Senate seats -- Michigan, Maine, Ohio, Kansas, Texas, Iowa and Alaska -- in their bid to gain a majority in the 100-member House.
Each of the 50 states in the United States is represented by two Senators who sit in the Congress for a six-year term. But the Senators are divided into three lots, and their terms are staggered so that elections are held every two years.
The House members are elected for a two-year term.
Republicans enjoy a majority in both chambers of Congress, but by thin margins.
In the House of Representatives, Speaker Mike Johnson has 218 Republicans and one independent, Kevin Kiley of California, against 214 Democrats, with two seats vacant.
The Senate is split 53-47 in favour of the Republicans. Democrats need a net gain of four seats to wrest control of the chamber. Of the 35 Senate seats on the ballot, 22 are held by Republicans.
According to the AP, more than 57 million ballots have been cast in 47 states and D.C. as of Monday, compared to a little under 44.5 million in 49 states and D.C. in 2022.
