Asian American Won Democratic Primary in Va.'s 10th District

LEESBURG, Va. — Virginia Democratic state Sen. Suhas Subramanyam won the Democratic Primary Election in Virginia’s 10th Congressional District. If he defeats his Republican rival, Mike Clancy, this November, Subramanyam will become the first Congressman representing this district from the Asian American and Pacific Islander(AAPI) community.

The 10th District has a sizable Asian population, contributing to Subramanyam’s narrow victory in a highly competitive race with 12 candidates from his party. Subramanyam was one of six AAPI candidates running for Congress in the district. Their candidacies reflected the district’s diversity and inspired the AAPI communities to become more politically involved.

Subramanyam, 37, is a second-generation Indian American born in Houston. He was the first Indian American elected to the Virginia General Assembly in 2019 and to the Virginia State Senate in 2023. Before his tenure as a state legislator, Subramanyam served as a White House technology policy advisor, appointed by then-President Barack Obama in 2015.

Subramanyam narrowly defeated Dan Helmer, a fellow Virginia state legislator and the race's top fundraiser, by less than 4%. Helmer had previously lost the Democratic Primary in 2018 to the incumbent Rep. Jennifer Wexton (D). Wexton's endorsement boosted Subramanyam’s campaign, as she is not seeking re-election due to an incurable brain disease.

“I deeply thank my Congresswoman, friend and mentor, Jennifer Wexton, for her fearless leadership and support. Our community is so much better off because of her efforts. She will leave big shoes to fill, but I am ready for the challenge,” said Subramanyam in a press release on primary election night.

Third place in the race was Atif Qarni, an Asian American who immigrated to the US from Pakistan at age ten. He served as Virginia Education Secretary from 2018 to 2021. Education is a top priority for him, shaped by his experiences as a middle school teacher and insights as an education official.

In an exclusive interview with Yuan Media, Qarni said that his Asian immigrant background motivated him to enter the race. As a Muslim, he held a unique position on the war in Gaza, which distinguished him from other Democrat candidates.

Despite name recognition in the district as a longtime resident and advocate, Qarni spent almost the entire primary election day knocking on doors. He said that his biggest challenge was encouraging voters to turn out, rather than focusing on devising a specific strategy to beat his Democratic rivals.

Krystle Kaul is another Indian American who ran in the Democratic primary. She is a businesswoman and owner of a defense technology company. Kaul raised over a million dollars, with about half coming from her own funds. She received single-digit support per the unofficial result.

Serving as a congresswoman has been Kaul's aspiration for over two decades. Growing up, she saw no one who looked like her in positions of power, but this only fueled her ambition. “If you don't see a path, you have to blaze that trail,” Kaul said.

In an exclusive interview with Yuan Media before the primary election, Kaul said that she “would definitely like to run again” if she ended up losing this race.

The day after the primary, Kaul congratulated his fellow Indian candidate on X. In the same announcement, she said, "There is so much to be proud of after looking back on my first run for office and I will continue to work hard to make my community a better place."

Adrian Pokharel, a first-generation Nepali American and former CIA official, won over 30 more votes than Kaul. Despite being a combat veteran in the US Army, Pokharel held a firm stance on gun control. During his campaign, he took a bold step by voluntarily turning in his assault rifle to local police.

The Nepali population in the 10th District is less than 0.005%. Pokharel’s congressional candidacy inspired greater political engagement within the Nepali community.

Jack Tiwari, a Nepali American living in the district, voted for Pokharel early in the morning on primary election day and spent the rest of the day volunteering for him at a polling place. He distributed campaign pamphlets to passersby, delivering a last-minute message to voters.

“Our representation is very low,” said Tiwari. “Unless we participate in these elections and have a seat at the table, someone else will decide our future. I would rather have us represent ourselves and bring our voices to the table.”

Prajash Timsina, 23, was working for Pokharel’s campaign. This was his first job after college. Timsina immigrated to the US six years ago and has been an active advocate within the Nepali community ever since.

He said Pokharel was a role model for Nepali Americans because "there aren't many people who want to do something bigger than themselves, who want to carry the weight of what it means to be an immigrant." As soon as he learned about Pokharel's candidacy, he applied to be a campaign staffer.

Jessica Izzo, a non-AAPI voter and teacher, said she voted for Pokharel because of his extensive service in the military and the CIA. She also valued the diversity he would bring to Capitol Hill if he secured the seat.

In the Republican primary, there are two AAPI candidates as well: Manga Anantatmula, a first-generation Indian American who actively opposes Affirmative Action, and Alex Isaac, a retired Army lieutenant colonel with a Palestinian mother and an Assyrian father.

Republicans controlled the 10th District for nearly 40 years until Wexton flipped it to blue in 2018. Since then, the district has been trending away from Republicans. The Democratic nominee now stands a strong chance to replace Wexton and represent this highly diverse district on Capitol Hill.