Indian-origin Democrat Pia Dandiya has won Florida’s 22nd Congressional District race, defeating Republican candidate Casey Askar in one of South Florida’s closely watched contests in the 2026 US midterm elections, CBS News projected.Dandiya’s victory marks a significant milestone for the Indian-American community. She becomes the first Indian-American to be elected to the US House of Representatives from Florida and the 10th Indian-American elected to the US Congress, according to reports.Born and raised in Palm Beach County to Indian immigrant parents, Dandiya is a former teacher and high school principal in Harlem. She has also served as a White House Fellow and worked at Apple.
US Midterm Election Results 2026
Her campaign focused on education, affordability and economic opportunity.She will represent Florida’s newly redrawn 22nd Congressional District, which stretches across parts of Palm Beach, Broward, Hendry and Collier counties. The district was reshaped in May 2026 as part of Republican Governor Ron DeSantis’ congressional redistricting effort ahead of the midterm elections.Dandiya is among the Indian-American candidates making electoral gains in the November 3 elections. Democrat Suhas Subramanyam has secured re-election from Virginia’s 10th Congressional District, with NBC News projecting his victory. He defeated Republican challenger Dave Beckwith and independent candidate Ahsen Malik, winning a second term in the US House of Representatives.Read more: Indian-origin Suhas Subramanyam wins re-election to US House from VirginiaMeanwhile, Indian-American Democrat Aruna Miller has also secured re-election as Maryland’s lieutenant governor. She ran alongside Governor Wes Moore, whose re-election was projected by NBC News.Other prominent Indian-origin candidates in the elections include Republican Vivek Ramaswamy, who is contesting the Ohio governor’s race, and Democratic incumbents Ro Khanna, Ami Bera and Pramila Jayapal, who are seeking re-election to the US House.The November 3 elections are being held halfway through President Donald Trump’s four-year term and will determine the balance of power in the US Congress for the next two years.All 435 seats in the House of Representatives and 35 of the 100 seats in the Senate are being contested. Voters are also electing governors in 36 states.The results will determine whether Republicans retain control of both chambers or Democrats make gains and take control of Congress, potentially affecting Trump’s legislative agenda during the remaining two years of his presidency.
