Two Indian American candidates were among the four still standing in Wednesday night’s invective-filled Republican presidential debate.
The debate, held in Alabama, featured former South Carolina Governor Nikki Haley, entrepreneur Vivek Ramaswamy — both children of Indian immigrants — former New Jersey Governor Chris Christie and Florida Governor Ron DeSantis.
Even as Asian representation in top-tier politics catches attention, Asian American voters have consistently told pollsters that candidates’ policy positions matter more than racial or ethnic identity — a whopping 97 percent said so in a Pew Research Center study earlier this year.
Former President Trump, the Republican frontrunner by a wide margin, has skipped all four GOP debates, the first of which featured eight candidates. The first caucus is Jan. 15 in Iowa.
Vice President Kamala Harris, who is also of Indian heritage, is running for reelection on the Democratic ticket with President Joe Biden.
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