Indian-American loses Democratic primary elections

An Indian-American Democratic legislator in Maryland has suffered a humiliating defeat in the party's primary election for a seat in the US House of Representatives.

Kumar Barve, 57, who was the House Majority leader from 2003-2014 and now Chairman of Maryland House Environment and Transportation Committee, received just two per cent of the total votes polled in a nine-person Democratic primary race for a seat in the US House of Representatives last night.

The primary election was won by Jamie Raskin who received 33 per cent of the votes.

He was followed by David Trone with 28 per cent of the votes.

In 1990, Barve made history at the age of 32, when he was elected to the Maryland House of Delegates and became the first Indian-American ever to serve in a state legislator.

If elected, he would have been the fourth Indian-American to be elected to the US House of Representatives.

Ami Bera from California is the only Indian-American in the current Congress.