Jenifer Rajkumar, Vichal Kumar, and Lisa Kaul / Wikimedia commons, Vichal Kumar via LinkedIn and Ballotpedia

The New York State primary elections on June 23 features several high-profile Indian American candidates on the ballots, including incumbent State Assemblymember Jenifer Rajkumar (Democrat). Representing District 38 in Queens since January 2021, Rajkumar is running for re-election to a third term ending in January 2027. 

Assembly District 38 covers a vibrant portion of central and southern Queens—including Glendale, Ozone Park, Richmond Hill, Ridgewood, and Woodhaven. The district boasts a large, diverse population of South Asians and Indo-Caribbeans, reflecting a multi-faith community of Hindus, Sikhs, and Muslims. 

The daughter of immigrants from the Caribbean, Rajkumar has achieved several historic milestones in New York politics as the first South Asian woman and first Hindu elected to New York state office and the first woman to represent Assembly District 38.

Before entering the legislature, Rajkumar earned a J.D. from Stanford Law School and built a career as a civil rights lawyer and an adjunct professor of political science at CUNY’s Lehman College. She also served under Governor Andrew Cuomo as New York State’s Director of Immigration Affairs and Special Counsel. 

During her tenure in Albany, Rajkumar has positioned herself as a highly visible, active lawmaker. Her notable legislative achievements include the SMOKEOUT Act, a landmark legislation giving New York City the enforcement authority to rapidly shut down illegal smoke shops. She led the successful legislative push to officially establish Diwali as a New York City public school holiday and authored a legislative package expanding paid family leave and full state human rights protections to domestic workers. 

Rajkumar faces a primary challenge from David Orkin, a candidate backed by the Democratic Socialists of America (DSA) and the Working Families Party (WFP). The race has grown highly contentious with recent WFP-backed campaign advertisements targeting Rajkumar and accusing her of maintaining political ties to global right-wing nationalist networks, including Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi and former President Donald Trump, citing contributions from certain network-aligned donors. 

Rajkumar’s campaign has strongly pushed back against these attacks, dismissing them as ‘dual-loyalty slurs’ and arguing that critics are unfairly targeting her faith as the first Hindu elected to state office. 

Vichal Kumar is running for election to the U.S. House to represent New York's 7th Congressional District. He is on the ballot in the Democratic primary on June 23 along with Antonio Reynoso, Claire Valdez, and Julie Won. The 7th Congressional District spans Brooklyn and Queens, including neighbourhoods like Long Island City, Williamsburg, Bushwick and Woodhaven.

Also Read: Aparna Raj claims D.C. Ward 1 Democratic nomination

New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani has endorsed Valdez in the district which has been identified as a battleground election. Kumar, who is a public defender and the son of Indian immigrants, is campaigning to dismantle ICE and protect families, empower workers and guarantee healthcare for all. He has said that while his opponents have longer political resumes, his experience as a public defender makes him the right candidate to represent voters in Washington.

Indian American Harjot Singh (Democrat) and Republican incumbent Mario Mattera are running in the general election for New York State Senate District 2 on November 3, 2026. The Democratic primary scheduled for June 23 was cancelled and Singh advanced from the Democratic primary without appearing on the ballot. The Republican primary was also cancelled. Singh is an immigration lawyer and community leader.

Lisa Kaul (Democratic Party) is running for election to the New York State Senate to represent District 39. She is on the ballot in the Democratic primary on June 23. 

Kaul is running because she feels that everyone deserves the opportunity to thrive and not just make ends meet and to get there a new leadership is needed to fight and deliver. She moved to Hudson Valley, her district, 21 years ago with her husband and toddler, as an immigrant. She is a legislator in the Dutchess County government from District 6. As legislator, she has won unanimous, bipartisan support for legislation that reduces plastic waste by requiring restaurants to include plastic cutlery, condiments and napkins only upon request. She has also secured budget funding for a badly-needed waste management study and raised and passed a resolution requiring all board members to complete financial disclosure forms. She has advocated successfully for road safety improvements, expanded transportation, and green infrastructure.

Kaul is running in the Democratic primary with other Democrats Gay Lee and Evan Menist. Incumbent Robert Rolison (Republican) and Evan Menist (Working Families Party) are running in the general election for the NY Senate District 39 on November 3 with the Republican primary cancelled.

Republican Anil Beephan Jr, who serves as a member of the New York State Assembly, representing District 105 is running for re-election to retain his seat. The scheduled Republican primary for June 2026 was cancelled because he advanced unopposed. He will face Democratic challenger Brooklyn Talarico in the general election on November 3, 2026. Beephan had made history as the first Republican of Indian descent to serve in the New York State Assembly. He secured a second term in November 2024, running virtually unopposed and securing 99 percent of the vote. 

Discover more at New India Abroad.