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Neil Khot’s Illinois run ends in decisive primary loss
Khot lost to U.S. Rep. Melissa Bean and also polled below Junaid Ahmed, winning only 6.7 percent of the votes.
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Jeffin T. Kaleekal - Wed, 18, Mar 2026
- 01:27 EDT
- 23
Neil Khot via X / Neil Khot via X
Indian-origin entrepreneur Neil Khot has faced a staggering defeat in the Democratic primary in his bid to represent Illinois’ 8th Congressional District.
Losing to former U.S. Rep. Melissa Bean by almost 25 percent of the votes, Khot polled below Junaid Ahmed, winning only 6.7 percent of the votes, according to Associated Press estimates at 10:51 p.m. EST.
Acknowledging her landmark win, Bean said in a statement, “The voters have spoken, and tonight, we begin the work necessary to take our democracy back into our own hands.”
She added, “Our victory tonight is just one more step in turning our country around.”
Khot had anchored his congressional bid on a business-first platform, emphasizing economic growth, innovation and support for small businesses.
When Khot announced his plans to run for office, he had expressed his intention to bring “a practical, business-savvy mindset to D.C.” and to “aggressively attract a new generation of world-class companies.”
ALSO READ: Neil Khot pushes for stronger Indian American representation in Congress
During his campaign, Khot highlighted that he had established socially responsible businesses after settling in Illinois and has thereby created hundreds of jobs across the state. He noted that his approach to the office and his approach to economic policy were informed by his entrepreneurial background.
Khot had also advocated for expanded influence in the Samosa Caucus during his appearance on the Rooted and Roaming podcast hosted by Avatans Kumar and Nirav Patel.
He noted, “We are a minority community; one percent of the country paying six percent of the taxes. I think we need representation in the Samosa Caucus, and we want to make sure that we continue to grow that.”
Khot had set his sights on a Democratic stronghold seat. A bastion held by Congressman Raja Krishnamoorthi for close to a decade, the seat witnessed heavy competition after Krishnamoorthi declined a re-election bid.
Krishnamoorthi, in turn, chose to pursue his U.S. Senate ambitions, a decision that did not go in his favor, having lost the Democratic primary to Julianna Stratton.
The district, which includes western Chicago suburbs such as Schaumburg, Elgin and Des Plaines, is widely viewed as safely Democratic, making the primary race decisive.
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