Indian Americans lead Democratic support among Asian voters ahead of US midterms

Indian Americans are the most likely to support Democratic candidates among Asian American ethnic groups, while Filipino Americans show the strongest Republican preference, according to the 2026 AAPI Voter Survey by APIAVote and AAPI Data.

Support for Democratic Senate candidates stood at 66% among Asian Indian voters, the highest among the ethnic groups covered by the survey. Filipino voters recorded the lowest Democratic support at 42%.

Filipino voters were also the only group in which Republican support exceeded Democratic support. Forty-nine percent preferred the Republican Senate candidate.

Democrats lead among AAPI voters

Asian American and Pacific Islander voters favoured Democratic candidates by more than two to one in the 2026 congressional elections.

Sixty percent preferred the Democratic candidate in Senate races, compared with 24% for the Republican candidate. In House races, 64% of Asian American voters backed the Democratic candidate, while 22% preferred the Republican candidate.

The Democratic advantage extended across most Asian American communities. It was strongest among Japanese Americans and weakest among Filipino Americans.

Among independent AAPI voters, 54% preferred the Democratic Senate candidate, compared with 18% who backed the Republican candidate. In House races, 51% supported the Democratic candidate and 20% preferred the Republican candidate.

Cost of living is the top concern

Cost of living and inflation were the leading issues for Asian American voters. Ninety percent said the issue was very or extremely important in deciding how they would vote.

Democrats also held an advantage on the issue. Forty-five percent of Asian American voters said Democrats would do a better job handling cost of living and inflation, compared with 17% who selected Republicans.

Healthcare was very or extremely important to 82% of Asian American voters. Jobs and education were also among the leading concerns, with education cited by 79% of voters.

The survey found that voters across demographic and political groups were focused on affordability, suggesting that economic concerns could play a central role in the midterm elections.

AAPI voters could influence close races

There will be 16 million eligible AAPI voters in 2026, including 1.6 million people who have become eligible to vote since 2022.

AAPI voters could have a significant impact in closely contested states. In 2024, they represented 12% of the eligible electorate in Nevada, 4.4% in Arizona, 4.2% in Georgia and 3.3% in Pennsylvania. They accounted for 3% in Michigan, North Carolina and Wisconsin.

The survey said AAPI voters also represented significant shares of the electorate in competitive congressional districts in Arizona, California, Michigan, New York, Pennsylvania and Virginia.

With every House seat, 35 Senate seats and thousands of state and local offices up for election in 2026, the growing and geographically concentrated AAPI electorate could influence the outcome in closely fought races.

More AAPI voters plan to participate

Ninety percent of AAPI registered voters said they planned to vote in the 2026 midterm elections. This was higher than the 84% recorded in 2022 and 86% in 2018.

Seventy-one percent said they were absolutely certain they would vote, while another 23% said they were fairly certain.

Actual Asian American turnout rose from 27% in 2014 to 40% in 2018 and remained at 40% in 2022. Pacific Islander turnout rose from 37% to 43% between 2014 and 2018 before standing at 41% in 2022.

However, the survey found that many Asian American voters felt politically exhausted. Sixty-six percent said they always or often felt exhausted when thinking about politics. Despite this, 90% still said they planned to vote.

Political parties leave many voters unreached

Forty-two percent of AAPI registered voters said they had received no contact from the Democratic Party. The figure was higher for Republicans, with 58% reporting no contact from the party.

Community organisations reached about as many AAPI voters as the Democratic Party, with 58% reporting some contact from such groups.

Family and friends were the most trusted messengers among AAPI voters, followed by academic experts, community journalists and AAPI community-serving organisations.

The survey covered around 2,066 AAPI voters, including 1,896 Asian American and 170 Pacific Islander voters. Interviews were conducted between June 3 and July 27, 2026, using phone, text-to-web and online recruitment methods.