US midterms 2026: Meet Sandeep Srivastava, Indian-American candidate contesting Texas House District 66

Indian-American candidate Sandeep Srivastava is seeking a seat in the Texas House of Representatives, contesting District 66 in the November 3 US midterm elections. A Plano-based small business owner with a background in technology and real estate, Srivastava is pitching his candidacy as an alternative to special-interest politics as he seeks to represent the district in the state legislature.His campaign comes at a time when Texas, a Republican stronghold, is seeing a more competitive slate of legislative and congressional races than in recent years. Democrats are targeting Republican-held seats, while concerns over the cost of living and President Donald Trump's policies have emerged as key issues in several contests.All about Sandeep SrivastavaSrivastava lives in Plano, Texas, and has longstanding ties to the surrounding community. According to his campaign profile, he is married, has two children and runs a small business. He has positioned his candidacy around the promise of representing constituents rather than special interests.Srivastava graduated from Lucknow University in 1986, as per BallotPedia. His professional experience includes working as a broker and real estate consultant with RE/MAX, as well as serving as a data architect at Xerox Corporation and a principal architect at Fidelity Investments.His career spans real estate and technology, experience that he brings to his bid for public office. His campaign describes him as a candidate seeking to offer a different approach to leadership in Austin, the Texas state capital.The Texas House of Representatives has 150 seats, with Republicans holding an 88-62 majority. Democrats would need to flip 14 seats to take control of the chamber, although gains short of a majority could still alter the legislative balance.The competitiveness of individual races varies across the state, with several closely contested districts in and around major metropolitan areas, including Dallas-Fort Worth.All about the Texas raceTexas has traditionally been a Republican stronghold in federal elections, but its expanding number of competitive races has made it an important state to watch as the party seeks to retain control of Congress.Republicans control both chambers of the Texas legislature and have redrawn congressional boundaries in an effort to gain additional US House seats. The revised map was designed to give the party an opportunity to secure as many as five additional seats.However, polling published by The Washington Post and George Mason University's Schar School of Policy and Government on October 23 found closely contested races in two South Texas congressional districts that Trump carried by about 10 percentage points in 2024. The poll, conducted among likely voters from October 14 to 19, showed Democrat Vicente Gonzalez leading Republican Eric Flores by 50% to 43% in the 34th Congressional District. In the 35th District, Republican Carlos De La Cruz and Democrat Johnny Garcia were closely matched.The findings point to the challenges Republicans face in translating their 2024 presidential gains into congressional victories. The cost of living was the leading concern among voters surveyed in both districts, while immigration ranked second.Trump has been campaigning across the country to support Republican candidates, including in traditionally conservative states. His rallies have focused on defending his economic record, while voters have continued to raise concerns about everyday expenses.For candidates across Texas, including those contesting state legislative seats, the midterms will take place against this broader political backdrop. The outcome will help determine the balance of power in Austin and Washington, while testing whether Trump's appeal among voters can translate into sustained Republican support across the state.You use AI every day. Now get your AI Quotient. Take the AIQ test.