Warning sign for Dems; fall in attachment from Indian-Americans

PTI Washington: In a warning sign for the Democrats, Indian- Americans' attachment to the party is declining in the US while the share of Republican identifiers held steady. A new survey, the "2024 Indian-American Attitudes," conducted by the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace in partnership with the research and analytics firm YouGov, says Indian- Americans remain solidly behind the Democratic Party but a modest uptick is seen in support for Republican candidates, and former president Donald Trump. The analysis is based on a nationally representative online survey of 714 Indian-American citizens between September 18 and October 15. The survey has an overall margin of error of +/- 3.7 per cent. According to the survey, 61% of registered Indian- American voter respondents plan to vote for Harris while 32% intend to vote for Trump. It said a modest increase in the share of respondents willing to vote for Trump had been seen since 2020.

On the other hand, 67% of Indian-American women intend to vote for Harris while 53% of men say they plan to vote for Harris. Twenty-two per cent of women intend to vote for Trump while 39 per cent of men plan to cast their ballots for him. This gender gap appears starkest with younger voters, according to the survey. There are more than 5.2 million people of Indian origin residing in the United States. Indian-Americans are now the second-largest immigrant group in the United States and have emerged as an important political actor thanks to the community's rapid demographic growth, the close margins in modern presidential elections, and the diaspora's remarkable professional success.

Abortion and reproductive rights are a highly salient issue for Indian Americans this election year, ranking as their second-most-important policy concern (after inflation/prices and tied with the economy and jobs). Democrats and women are especially motivated by abortion this election cycle, the report said.