Three Indian-origin Muslim Democrats turn the tide: Trump faces his first major political blow

Zohran Mamdani (L), Ghazala Hashmi (Centre) and Aftab Pureval (R)

Three Muslim Democrats of Indian descent -- Zohran Mamdani, Aftab Pureval, and Ghazala Hashmi -- have delivered what analysts call the first major political setback to US President Donald Trump, only months into his presidency. Their victories in key races across New York City, Cincinnati, and Virginia have shifted momentum at a time when Democrats had been struggling to regain their footing after a series of electoral defeats.

Zohran Mamdani

Zohran Mamdani, the son of Indian-American filmmaker Mira Nair and Columbia University anthropology professor Mahmood Mamdani, has been elected the next Mayor of New York City. Born in Kampala, Uganda, to parents with Indian roots, Mamdani spent parts of his early life in Cape Town, South Africa, before settling in New York City at the age of seven. He became a US citizen in 2018 shortly after completing college. Earlier this year, he married Syrian-American artist Rama Duwaji in a civil ceremony. The two reportedly met through the dating app Hinge and now live together in Astoria, Queens.

Mamdani, 34, a self-described democratic socialist and sitting state assemblyman, defeated Andrew Cuomo in the Democratic primary before securing victory in the general election. He is set to assume office on January 1. Trump had endorsed Cuomo, who was contesting as an independent, and had hinted that federal funding for New York could be reconsidered if Mamdani won.

Ghazala Hashmi

In Virginia, Ghazala Hashmi, aged 61, emerged victorious in the race for Lieutenant Governor, becoming the first Indian-American and Muslim to hold statewide office in the state’s history. Born in Hyderabad in 1964, Hashmi’s family has ancestral ties to Karachi, now in Pakistan. She moved to the United States as a child and grew up in Georgia, where she witnessed firsthand how “community-building and open dialogue can bridge cultural and socioeconomic divisions.”

Hashmi holds a BA in English from Georgia Southern University and a PhD from Emory University. Her political career took off in 2019 when she flipped a Republican seat to become a Virginia state senator representing a district south of Richmond. In this election, she defeated Republican candidate John Reid, a Richmond-based broadcaster. Her campaign resonated widely among South Asians, including voters of Pakistani descent.

Aftab Pureval

Meanwhile, in Cincinnati, Indian-origin Mayor Aftab Pureval secured a second term by defeating Republican challenger Cory Bowman, who is the half-brother of US Vice President JD Vance. Pureval’s re-election reinforced his growing stature as a prominent Democratic leader in the Midwest.

Born in Ohio to a Punjabi father and a Tibetan refugee mother, Pureval was politically active from a young age. His first campaign slogan as a student -- “Big, Brown and Beautiful” -- has since become a defining anecdote in his rise to prominence. After earning his law degree from the University of Cincinnati College of Law, he began his career in Washington, DC, before returning to Ohio to work as a special assistant US attorney with the Department of Justice.

In 2013, Pureval joined Procter & Gamble as legal counsel, managing the Olay brand globally, but left three years later to enter politics full-time. Although the Cincinnati mayor’s office is officially nonpartisan, Pureval is closely associated with the Democratic Party. He became city's first Asian-American mayor in 2021.

Trump’s influence loomed large in these contests, as his endorsements and policies became rallying points for opposition mobilisation. According to CNN, majorities of voters across several states, including Virginia, viewed their ballots as a message on Trump’s presidency. His handling of tariffs and immigration drew particular disapproval.

The results collectively symbolise a pushback against Trump’s influence. For the Democrats, these victories provided both symbolic validation and practical momentum after months of political headwinds. “Congratulations to all the Democratic candidates who won tonight,” former President Barack Obama wrote on X. “It’s a reminder that when we come together around strong, forward-looking leaders who care about the issues that matter, we can win. We’ve still got plenty of work to do, but the future looks a little bit brighter.”

Analysts believe these wins, delivered by three Indian-origin Muslims in high-stakes contests, have reshaped the early narrative of Trump’s presidency.