US Elections: 6 in 10 Indian Americans support Harris; More and more young people are leaning towards Trump, study shows

US Elections: Indian Americans continue to support the Democratic Party in the 2024 US presidential elections, but their attachment to the party has declined compared to the past, a new study on the political views of Indian Americans has found.

The survey found that sixty-one percent of registered Indian American voters plan to vote for Democrat Kamala Harris and 32 percent intend to vote for Republican Donald Trump.

At least 47 percent of respondents to the Indian American Attitudes Survey (IAAS) identify as Democrats. That’s down from 56 percent in 2020, the last time the survey was conducted. Those who identify themselves as republicans The survey found that the share of those who consider themselves independent remained stable at 21 percent, while the share of those who consider themselves independent rose to 26 percent.

The poll also found that more Indian-American men than women support Harris.

Indian Americans, numbering 5.2 million, are currently the second largest immigrant group in the United States. Some 2.6 million members of this politically significant community will be eligible to vote in 2024. The importance of the community has increased in 2024. US elections 2024 as Indian-origin Democratic candidate Kamala Harris is in the fray.

Survey report published Carnegie Foundation for International Peace (CEIP), authored by Sumitra Badrinathan, Devesh Kapoor and Milan Vaishnav. The survey was conducted online in collaboration with YouGov by surveying 714 Indian-origin US citizens between September 18 and October 15, 2024.

A summary of the survey results is below.

1. Indian Americans are Democratic.

47 percent of respondents identify as Democrats, up from 56 percent in 2020, according to the poll. The share of Republican identifiers remained stable, while the percentage of independents increased compared to survey responses in 2020.

2-6 in 10 registered Indian-origin voters intend to vote for Harris

Sixty-one percent of registered Indian-American voters plan to vote for Harris while 32 percent intend to vote for Trump, the poll said.

It says there has been a modest shift in community preferences since the last election, with an increase in the share of respondents willing to vote for Trump.

3. Trump is gaining popularity among Indian-American men.

The poll also found a gender gap in support for both candidates, with Indian-American women favoring Harris and Indian American men prefer Trump, especially among the younger population.

Sixty-seven percent of Indian American women intend to vote for Harris, while 53 percent of men (a significantly smaller share) say they plan to vote for Harris.

Additionally, the study found that twenty-two percent of women intend to vote for Trump, while a significantly larger share of men, 39 percent, plan to vote for him.

“When further broken down by age, this gender gap appears to be sharpest among younger voters. In the over-40 cohort, more than 70 percent of women and 60 percent of men plan to vote for Harris. However, in the under-40 cohort, 60 percent of women say they will vote for Harris, while men say they will vote for Harris. Harris and Trump in approximately equal proportions,” the survey says.

4. Indian Americans have warm feelings towards prominent Indian American Republicans.

The study showed that respondents evaluate Indian American Republicans such as Nikki Haley, Vivek Ramaswamy and Usha Vance, the wife of Republican vice-presidential candidate J.D. Vance, view them negatively.

However, there is evidence of asymmetric polarization, as Democrats rate prominent Republicans worse than Republicans rate leading Democrats.

5- Abortion is a key policy issue

Abortion and reproductive rights are a very important issue for Indian Americans this election year, ranking second in importance on their policy agenda after inflation/prices and tied to the economy and jobs. Democrats and women are especially motivated by abortion this election cycle.

6. The Republican disadvantage towards Indian Americans is rooted in politics.

The survey results indicate that Republican Party does not correspond to the many political positions held by community members. When Democrats are asked why they don’t identify as Republicans, they cite the latter’s intolerance of minorities, their stance on abortion and, above all, their association with Christian evangelicalism.