Indian-American Democrat Pia Dandiya has won the election to the US House of Representatives from Florida’s 22nd Congressional District, defeating Republican candidate and Marine Corps veteran Casey Askar.
Dandiya secured 51.9 per cent of the votes against Askar’s 48.1 per cent, according to the reported election results. Her victory was projected by CBS News on Tuesday, November 3.
Born and raised in Palm Beach County, Florida, to parents who migrated from India, Dandiya will represent the newly redrawn 22nd Congressional District when the new US Congress convenes in January 2027.
Dandiya, a former teacher and high school principal, had initially planned to contest against Republican Brian Mast in Florida’s 21st Congressional District. However, following the redrawing of congressional boundaries, she shifted her campaign to the 22nd District, where no incumbent was contesting the election.
Welcoming her victory, Chintan Patel, Executive Director of Indian American Impact, said the 22nd District was among the most competitive constituencies for Democrats and that Dandiya had turned it blue.
Born to Indian immigrant parents, Dandiya began her career as a teacher before becoming a high school principal in Harlem, New York. At the age of 28, she became the founding principal of a school established to improve educational opportunities for students from low-income families.
According to her campaign website, every graduate of the school secured admission to college, despite 86 per cent of its students belonging to low-income households.
Dandiya has also served as a White House Fellow at the Department of Education and worked with technology company Apple, focusing on public-sector innovation.
Her campaign focused on education, economic opportunities, affordability and strengthening communities.
Her victory adds to the representation of Indian-Americans in the US Congress and marks another milestone for the Indian-origin community in American public life.
-PTI
