ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
Indian Americans advance in Georgia democratic primaries
Georgia law requires primary candidates to secure more than 50 percent of the vote to avoid a runoff election, with several legislative contests now headed to June 16 runoffs.
-
Malvika Choudhary - Wed, 20, May 2026
- 17:48 EDT
- 41
Jyot Singh, an organizer and entrepreneur raised in Norcross, and Rahul Garabadu, a civil rights attorney / LinkedIn
Indian American candidates made gains in Georgia’s Democratic primary elections on May 19, with one candidate winning a State House nomination outright and another advancing to a runoff in a closely watched State Senate contest.
Jyot Singh won the Democratic primary for Georgia House District 97, while Rahul Garabadu advanced to a June 16 runoff in the Democratic primary for Georgia State Senate District 7.
Also Read: Two Indian Americans vie for Georgia Senate seat in Gwinnett
Singh is now on track to become the first Sikh elected official in Georgia history if elected in November. He marked the victory with a brief social media post that read: “We Won.”
Singh defeated Jacques Laurent with 59.1 percent of the vote in the Democratic primary for the open House District 97 seat. The district became open after Romman chose to run for the State Senate instead of seeking reelection to the House.
Following Romman’s decision, Singh shifted his candidacy from the State Senate District 7 race to the House District 97 contest. Singh had initially qualified for the Senate race before withdrawing.
A Gwinnett County native, Singh is a community organizer and small business owner. According to his campaign website, he is the son of Punjabi immigrants and a graduate of Yale University. His campaign focused on healthcare affordability, housing costs and public education in Gwinnett County.
Singh has also highlighted his organizing work tied to the renewal of Gwinnett County’s education sales tax program, which funded investments in public schools.
In the State Senate District 7 Democratic primary, Romman received 38.2 percent of the vote, followed by Garabadu with 33.2 percent, while Astrid Ross secured 28.6 percent, triggering a runoff because no candidate crossed the majority threshold required under Georgia law.
“It’s official: we are heading on to the Runoff Primary Election on June 16th!” Garabadu wrote, thanking supporters and volunteers who helped the campaign advance.
He also praised fellow candidate Astrid Ross for running “a campaign focused on the issues” and called her leadership in the community “commendable.”
Garabadu said his campaign would continue direct voter outreach ahead of the runoff.
“We will continue to meet voters where they are and share important information about the crucial fights ahead for our state,” he wrote.
The son of Indian immigrants, Garabadu has highlighted his background in civil rights law throughout the campaign. His campaign biography says he challenged Georgia’s district maps in court, pursued accountability over conditions in a Georgia county jail, and represented families whose toddlers with disabilities were denied access to daycare services.
Discover more at New India Abroad.
Related
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
E Paper
Video
Comments
Start the conversation
Become a member of New India Abroad to start commenting.
Sign Up Now
Already have an account? Login