Three Muslim Democrats of Indian descent, Zohran Mamdani, Aftab Pureval, and Ghazala Hashmi, have given what analysts are calling the first major political setback to US President Donald Trump, only a few months into his presidency. Their victories in key races across New York City, Cincinnati, and Virginia have changed the political mood at a time when Democrats were struggling to recover after a string of defeats.

Zohran Mamdani, the son of Indian-American filmmaker Mira Nair and Columbia University professor Mahmood Mamdani, has been elected as the next Mayor of New York City. Born in Kampala, Uganda, to parents with Indian roots, Mamdani spent part of his childhood in Cape Town, South Africa, before moving to New York City when he was seven. He became a US citizen in 2018, soon after finishing college. Earlier this year, he married Syrian-American artist Rama Duwaji in a civil ceremony. The two met on the dating app Hinge and now live together in Astoria, Queens.

Mamdani, 34, who describes himself as a democratic socialist and is a sitting state assemblyman, defeated Andrew Cuomo in the Democratic primary and later won the general election. He will take office on January 1. Trump had backed Cuomo, who ran as an independent, and had hinted that federal funding for New York might be reconsidered if Mamdani won.

In Virginia, Ghazala Hashmi, aged 61, made history by winning the race for Lieutenant Governor, becoming the first Indian-American and Muslim to hold a statewide office in Virginia. Born in Hyderabad in 1964, her family traces its roots to Karachi, now in Pakistan. She moved to the United States as a child and grew up in Georgia, where she learned how “community-building and open dialogue can bridge cultural and socioeconomic divisions.”

Hashmi earned her BA in English from Georgia Southern University and later completed a PhD at Emory University. Her political journey began in 2019 when she flipped a Republican seat to become a state senator from a district south of Richmond. In this election, she defeated Republican candidate John Reid, a broadcaster from Richmond. Her campaign received strong support from South Asian communities, including many of Pakistani descent.

Meanwhile, in Cincinnati, Indian-origin Mayor Aftab Pureval won a second term after defeating Republican candidate Cory Bowman, who is the half-brother of US Vice President JD Vance. His re-election has reinforced his position as one of the rising Democratic leaders in the Midwest.

Born in Ohio to a Punjabi father and a Tibetan refugee mother, Pureval showed an interest in politics early in life. His first campaign slogan as a student, “Big, Brown and Beautiful,” has since become a defining part of his story. After completing his law degree from the University of Cincinnati College of Law, he began his career in Washington, DC, before returning to Ohio to work as a special assistant US attorney at the Department of Justice.

In 2013, he joined Procter and Gamble as legal counsel for the Olay brand but left three years later to enter politics full-time. Although the Cincinnati mayor’s office is officially nonpartisan, Pureval is known for his close ties to the Democratic Party. He made history in 2021 as the city’s first Asian-American mayor.

Trump’s influence was a major factor in these elections, as his endorsements and policies became rallying points for Democratic campaigns. According to CNN, a majority of voters across several states, including Virginia, saw their vote as a way to send a message about Trump’s presidency, with most expressing disapproval of his tariff and immigration policies.

Together, these results mark a clear rejection of Trump’s political influence. For Democrats, they have brought both confidence and momentum after a difficult phase. “Congratulations to all the Democratic candidates who won tonight,” former President Barack Obama wrote on X. “It’s a reminder that when we come together around strong, forward-looking leaders who care about the issues that matter, we can win. We’ve still got plenty of work to do, but the future looks a little bit brighter.”

Analysts believe that the victories of these three Indian-origin Muslim leaders have not only made history but have also reshaped the early political narrative of Trump’s presidency.