In a significant shift for Virginia politics, two Indian Americans, Kannan Srinivasan and J.J. Singh, have secured seats in the state legislature, bolstering the Democratic Party’s slim majority. Srinivasan was elected to the State Senate, while Singh won a seat in the State House of Delegates on Wednesday.
The elections saw Singh take over the House seat previously held by Srinivasan, who now occupies the State Senate position left vacant after Suhas Subramanyam’s resignation, following his election to Congress in November.
Republican candidate Ram Venkatachalam contested against Singh for the House seat but was defeated.
Srinivasan, originally from Tamil Nadu, India, has a background in chartered accounting and moved to the U.S. after a successful career in India. His victory ensures he will join Indian American Ghazala Hashmi in the State Senate.
J.J. Singh, a Virginia native, made history by likely becoming the first legislator in the U.S. to wear a turban. His extensive background includes working at the White House Office of Management and Budget during the Obama administration, serving as a Peace Corps volunteer in Bolivia, and advising U.S. senators.
These wins were crucial for the Democratic Party, which now holds a slender one-seat majority in both chambers of Virginia’s legislature. The outcome was especially critical given the state’s Republican governor and the national political climate shaped by the Trump era. The Democratic Party had invested heavily in these campaigns to secure Srinivasan and Singh’s victories.
