President Joe Biden's re-election bid gets warm response from Indian-American lawmakers, diaspora

By Reena Bhardwaj

Washington [US], April 26 : Joe Biden's decision for re-election in 2024 caused a stir on Tuesday, especially amongst the Indian-Americans, a small but possibly pivotal voting bloc in the US political landscape.

In a three-minute video opening with images of the US Capitol attack, Biden warned that the US remains under threat from the anti-democratic forces unleashed by his predecessor, who he beat in 2020.

US Vice-President Kamala Harris while sharing the video on twitter said, "As Americans, we believe in freedom and liberty and we believe that our democracy will only be as strong as our willingness to fight for it. That's why @JoeBiden and I are running for reelection. Join us."

Harris is the first woman of Indian and African heritage to be the vice president of the US.

Biden, the Democratic president will face the winner of the crowded Republican primary, which features former President Donald Trump and half a dozen lower-profile conservatives including Nikki Haley and Vivek Ramaswamy, both of Indian heritage.

"750,000 new manufacturing jobs, two record-breaking yrs of job creation, & record low unemployment. I am supporting @JoeBiden for President in 2024 so we can continue the work of building our working and middle class," Ro Khanna, an Indian-American Congressman of California, who is associated with 'Samosa Caucus'.

The 'Samosa Caucus' is an informal grouping of Indian-American lawmakers who are either part of the House of Representatives or the Senate.

Indian American voters are overwhelmingly Democratic: 74 per cent voted for Biden in the 2020 presidential race, more than voters of other Asian backgrounds, according to a survey-by AAPI Data, APIAVote and Asian Americans Advancing Justice.

"I strongly support the Biden-Harris team. A growing economy plus lower inflation should equal an easy victory for Biden. It's always about the economy for Presidential re-election," Kumar Barve, the first Indian-American elected to a US state legislature, told .

Indian Americans are about 1 per cent of the U.S. population and makeup. 82 per cent of all eligible voters in the US but are large enough in numbers to make a decisive difference in certain swing states.

President Trump's embrace of Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi fueled speculation that it could drive many Indian American voters to the Republican Party, but data post-Biden's 2020 win suggested the opposite. Something that was also seen in 2016, where 77 per cent of Indian American voters supported Hillary Clinton and 16 per cent for Trump.

Eminent Indian-American Ajay Jain Bhutoria said that President Biden and Vice President Harris have been instrumental in helping millions of Americans during the pandemic, and their vision for the future is inspiring.

President Biden and Vice President Harris have the experience, vision, and values that are needed to continue to move our country forward, and I am proud to support their re-election campaign," said Bhutoria, a long-time supporter of Biden and a major fundraiser for his campaign.

President Biden's announcement is also greeted by worries about his mental acuity and physical stamina. Biden is already the oldest president in US history. If he were to win re-election, he would be inaugurated at age 82 and finish his second four-year term at 86.

The Republicans - who are already trying to amplify every Biden gaffe and are ready to make the case that Biden is no longer fit for the presidency.

"Mick Jagger is only 9 months younger than Joe Biden. He went on tour last year at age 79. Joe Biden is both fit and fit to serve another term. Don't buy into ageism." said Kaivan Shroff, a political commentator of Indian heritage who describes himself as a "Proud Democrat".