Jayapal Wins Sixth Term in Washington's 7th District

The Democrat retained her House seat over Republican Nirav Sheth in an election called with about 54 percent of ballots counted.

Updated on Nov. 5, 2026 in Immigration

Jayapal Wins Sixth Term in Washington's 7th District

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Pramila Jayapal won a sixth term in the U.S. House of Representatives, retaining Washington state's 7th Congressional District with approximately 88 percent of the vote against Republican Nirav Sheth's 12 percent. The race was called when roughly 54 percent of ballots had been counted.

Why it matters

Jayapal, the first South Asian American woman elected to the House, is the senior Democrat on the Judiciary Committee's immigration subcommittee, and her win keeps a prominent immigration voice in Congress. Democrats are projected to control the House, which will shape the chamber's agenda on immigration policy.

Jayapal received approximately 88 percent of the vote to Sheth's 12 percent, with about 54 percent of ballots counted when the race was called. Final totals for the remaining ballots had not been reported at the time of the call.

The players

Pramila Jayapal

A Democrat from Washington state serving her sixth term, she is the first South Asian American woman elected to the House and serves as senior Democrat on the Judiciary Committee's immigration subcommittee.

Nirav Sheth

The Republican challenger who received about 12 percent of the vote in the 7th Congressional District race.

The details

Jayapal, who was born in Chennai and moved to the United States alone at age 16 to study at Georgetown University, is the only sitting member of Congress to have held both a student visa and an H-1B work visa. She has drawn on that experience to oppose Trump administration restrictions on legal immigration, including the $100,000 H-1B visa fee.

November 4, 2026: Jayapal won her sixth term and the 7th District race was called.
October 14, 2026: Her campaign had approximately $2 million in cash on hand.
January 2025 to mid-September 2026: Period in which Jayapal voted with the Democratic majority in approximately 96 percent of roll-call votes.

Legal Context

Jayapal's immigration background has shaped her opposition to the $100,000 H-1B visa fee imposed under the Trump administration. Her reelection keeps that critique in place as Democrats are set to control the House.

Jayapal's reelection means her immigration-focused work on the Judiciary Committee's subcommittee continues for another term. Readers following H-1B visa policy should expect her to keep pressing for changes to fees and restrictions on legal immigration.

The takeaway

Jayapal's personal path, from a student visa to a seat in Congress, illustrates how immigration policy affects individual lives. Her reelection keeps that perspective in the debate over how the country sets its legal immigration rules.