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Indian American candidates see mixed results in New York primaries
Jenifer Rajkumar loses Assembly seat while Lisa Kaul wins State Senate primary.
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Ankita Baidya - Wed, 24, Jun 2026
- 05:16 EDT
- 42
Jenifer Rajkumar and Lisa Kaul were among the Indian-American candidates who contested New York's June 23 primary elections. / Wikimedia commons, Vichal Kumar via LinkedIn and Ballotpedia
Assemblymember Jenifer Rajkumar lost her seat in Assembly District 38 in New York's June 23 primary election, falling to Democratic Socialists of America-backed challenger David Orkin.
With approximately 94 percent of ballots counted, Orkin received nearly 59 percent of the vote, compared with about 41 percent for Rajkumar, according to the Queens Daily Eagle.
Also Read: Jenifer Rajkumar, Vichal Kumar and Lisa Kaul on ballots in New York State primaries
Rajkumar, who has represented the Queens district since 2021, was the first South Asian woman and the first Hindu elected to New York State office. Assembly District 38 includes Glendale, Ozone Park, Richmond Hill, Ridgewood and Woodhaven.
The result was part of a broader showing by DSA-backed candidates in Queens, with victories in races for Congress, the State Senate and other Assembly seats, according to the Queens Daily Eagle.
In New York's 7th Congressional District, Vichal Kumar, a public defender and son of Indian immigrants, finished fourth in the Democratic primary with less than 2 percent of the vote, according to the Brooklyn Paper.
Queens Assemblymember Claire Valdez won the race with approximately 58 percent of the vote. Brooklyn Borough President Antonio Reynoso finished second with around 33 percent, while Queens Council Member Julie Won placed third with approximately 7 percent. The seat is being vacated by retiring Representative Nydia Velázquez.
Lisa Kaul, a Dutchess County legislator and native of India, won the Democratic primary in New York State Senate District 39, according to Associated Press estimates.
With 94 percent of votes counted, Kaul received 62.1 percent of the vote, totaling 8,178 votes. Evan Menist received 30.4 percent and Gay Lee received 7.4 percent. The Associated Press called the race at 4:33 a.m. on June 24.
Kaul will face Republican incumbent Robert Rolison in the Nov. 3 general election.
Two other Indian American candidates advanced to the general election without primary challengers.
Harjot Singh, an immigration lawyer, will be the Democratic nominee in New York State Senate District 2 and will face Republican incumbent Mario Mattera in November.
Republican Assemblymember Anil Beephan Jr. also advanced unopposed and will face Democratic challenger Brooklyn Talarico in Assembly District 105.
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