An Indian American, originally from Andhra Pradesh, is among ten Republican candidates vying for the Grand Old Party’s support in his bid for the US Congress in the upcoming March 3, 2026 primaries in Texas. He is not only different because he is an entrepreneur who is totally financing his campaign; he happens to be a rancher and sports a cowboy hat, somewhat of a rarity among Indian Americans.
Abhiram Garapati, whose public persona resembles a Texas cowboy, and he sells hay to prove that, has to beat 9 other Republican aspirants and his opening gambit is – “I have lived the American Dream.”
He immigrated to the United States in 1997 at the age of 22 with just $500 in in his pocket, he says. “In 2010, I proudly affirmed my allegiance to the United States, became a U.S. citizen, and renounced my citizenship in my country of birth,” which according to his biography on Ballotpedia.org, is India, where he was born in Nuzvid, a town in Andhra Pradesh.
“Through hard work, perseverance, and the grace of God, I became a self-made millionaire by the age of 30,” Garapati says on his campaign website garapatifortexas.com. He seems to have a golden thumb going by his entrepreneurial history.
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Since his arrival in 1997, Garapati says he founded and led multiple successful businesses and currently serves as the President of Ant Savings, a commercial real estate investment firm he established in 2004. Headquartered in Central Texas, Ant Savings has grown into a “multimillion-dollar enterprise” which the Indian American maintains, has a portfolio spanning multiple states, including office buildings, hospitals, restaurants, and shopping centers.
Garapati earned a bachelor’s degree in Electronics and Communications Engineering and completed advanced investment coursework at Stanford University.
“Throughout my career, I have traveled to some of the most remote parts of the United States, forging relationships and doing business with incredible Americans from all walks of life,” he says.
Garapati is also a farmer and cattle rancher, raising hay and livestock on his 200-acre ranch in Central Texas and his 60-acre ranch in Florence, Texas, where he lives.
“My deep ties to the land and local economy have given me firsthand insight into the challenges and values of hardworking Texans,” he says.
Politically, he represented the 31st Congressional District of Texas as a delegate to the 2024 Republican National Convention in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. Apart from that, Garapati has tried multiple times to win the GOP’s favor. He ran in the Republican primaries for U.S. Congress in 2020, 2022, and 2024.
“For the past eight years, I have been actively involved in Republican grassroots efforts and remain deeply committed to the conservative principles that make our state and nation strong,” he says.
Whether that grassroots work has brought him the support needed to win the primary is to be seen on March 3.
Federal Election data (fec.gov) for the period July 1, 2025-December 31, 2025, shows total receipts by the candidate to his campaign of $55,000, with zero contributions from individuals and committees, in line with his stated commitment. Of his amount, Garapati spent $16,000 on operating expenditures, and his cash on hand by end of 2025 was $39,000.
Interestingly, several of his 9 Republican opponents have small financial numbers even less than Garapati according to fec.gov data available @fec.gov/data/elections/house/TX/31/2026/.
Married to his high-school sweetheart who he says he has known since kindergarten, Garapati has two children.
“With respect to my faith, I was raised Hindu and adopted Christianity and accepted the love of Jesus Christ later in my life,” Garapati says.
There is even more that makes Garapati different from many candidates nationwide. Not only has he refused all campaign contributions, he is declining a congressional salary and pension, and – he owns no individual stocks and will not trade while in Congress.