Florida: Indian-American candidate Pia Dandiya has won the election to the US House of Representatives from Florida’s 22nd congressional district, defeating Marine veteran Casey Askar.
According to the results declared on Tuesday, Dandiya secured 51.9 per cent of the votes, while Askar received 48.1 per cent. Her victory makes her the newest Indian-American woman to enter the US Congress.
Dandiya, a former high school principal, was born to parents who migrated to the United States from India. She initially planned to challenge Republican Brian Mast, chairman of the House Foreign Affairs Committee, in Florida’s 21st congressional district.
However, she later shifted her campaign to the 22nd district in South Florida. The constituency was created following redistricting, and no incumbent was contesting the seat.
Who Is Pia Dandiya?
Born and raised in Palm Beach County, Florida, Dandiya is a first-generation American who began her career as a teacher before moving into school leadership and policy work.
She served as a high school principal in Harlem, New York, where she founded a school aimed at helping students from low-income families access better educational and economic opportunities.
According to her campaign website, every graduate of the school secured admission to college, despite 86 per cent of the students coming from low-income households.
Dandiya became the founding principal at the age of 28, making her one of the youngest high school principals in the country, as per her campaign profile. Her professional background also includes work as a policy leader and technology innovator.
Indian-American Group Welcomes Her Victory
Chintan Patel, executive director of Indian American Impact, congratulated Dandiya on her win, describing Florida’s 22nd congressional district as one of the most competitive seats for Democrats.
“Florida’s 22nd District was one of the most competitive districts for Democrats, and Pia just turned it blue,” Patel said in a statement.
He added that the organisation had supported her campaign from the beginning and welcomed her victory.
