Usha Vance, wife of JD Vance, spotlights Indian Americans growing representation in politics

MORRISVILLE, N.C. (WTVD) -- Across the political spectrum, from Vice President Kamala Harris, to presidential candidates Nikki Haley and Vivek Ramaswamy, Indian Americans are reaching the top levels of the political world.

Now, there's potential Second Lady, Usha Vance. The wife of Republican Vice Presidential nominee, Ohio Sen. J.D. Vance, Usha Vance is a successful lawyer raised by Indian immigrant Hindu parents in San Diego.

Morrisville RNC alternate delegate, Ravi Gaddampally was at the convention when Donald Trump's pick was made, and says Usha's story resonates with local immigrant families.

"Usha is a second generation Indian, she is young, so she knows the problems of her generation, what they are facing right now," Gaddampally says.

He hopes it will also lead to more support for the GOP. But in recent elections, Indian Americans have trended blue.

In 2020, among the Wake County precincts the had highest south Asian voting population, Joe Biden won 70 percent of the vote, compared to 29 percent for Donald Trump.

Morrisville Councilman, Steve Rao says Democrats shouldn't take that vote for granted. He says many in the community are more pro-business and centrist, and immigration and education are also important.

"You have so many Indians with Ph.D.'s, in science and engineering so the jobs of the future, training our kids for the jobs of the future, robotics, cybersecurity," Rao says.

Rao was among the first Indian Americans elected to office in North Carolina, but with rapid growth in the Triangle, he's far from the last.

"When you see growth, there's a need for representation, and they're more involved in politics, and they want their own candidates. They want leaders who look like them," says Cary Councilmember Sarika Bansal.

Bansal made history, becoming the first Indian American to be elected to Cary Town Council last year, largely by boosting turnout in the Indian American community, many of whom she says hadn't voted before.

But now she says that's changing, and it could decide who wins North Carolina.

"Having that awareness was definitely missing, and so my election for a lot of people was like an A-ha moment, like this is important," Bansal says.