OHIO (TIP): Ohio’s Indian American Republican State Senator Niraj Antani has lost his bid for the US House of Representatives from the second Congressional District in the party primary.
Antani, who became the first Indian American State Senator in Buckeye state history in 2021, ran in a crowded field of 11 candidates in Tuesday’s party primary to replace retiring Rep. Brad Wenstrup.
Antani was in 10th place with 1,497 or 1.8% of the votes, according to The New York Times. He plans to continue serving in the Senate until his term expires on Dec 21.
“I just called David Taylor to concede and wish him congrats on winning the Republican nomination for Congress. I wish him all the best in Congress. I want to once again thank all my supporters for their support in this race. I am so deeply grateful for your support” he posted on X.
Antani, who was born and raised in the Miami Township, was first elected to represent his Dayton-area Senate district in 2020 after serving six years in the Ohio House. He is currently Ohio’s youngest senator and the first Indian American to serve in the Senate.
The 6th Senate District includes southern, eastern, and northern Montgomery County, which has an Indian American population of more than 87,000.
In a Nov 14 press release announcing his run for US Congress, Antani promised to be “a conservative warrior in Congress and fight against Joe Biden’s disastrous policies.” The second district’s “partisan voter index leans significantly Republican,” he wrote on X.
“Over the next days, weeks, and months, I look forward to working hard to earn the support of the voters and to win this campaign,” he added.
Antani graduated from Miamisburg High School and earned a bachelor’s degree from Ohio State University.