Pia Dandiya Wins US House Seat in Florida, Becomes First Indian-American Representative

Washington: Indian-American Democrat Pia Dandiya has won the election to the US House of Representatives from Florida’s 22nd Congressional District, defeating Republican candidate Casey Askar. Dandiya, a former high school principal, secured 51.9 per cent of the votes, while Askar received 49.1 per cent, with about 94 per cent of the expected vote counted, based on election-night figures from NBC. Although NBC refrained from projecting an outright victor, Dandiya maintained a significant margin with a minimal volume of ballots remaining unprocessed. Dandiya, previously a school principal, is attempting to secure a seat in Congress from a newly reconfigured South Florida constituency, drawing national focus as a competitive House battle capable of impacting chamber control. With the victory, Dandiya becomes the newest Indian American woman elected to the US Congress. Notably, Dandiya’s victory marks a significant milestone for the Indian-American community as she becomes the first Indian American to be elected to the US House of Representatives from Florida and the 10th Indian American to serve in the US Congress, according to reports. Born to parents who migrated to the US from India, Dandiya had initially planned to challenge Republican Brian Mast, chairman of the House Foreign Affairs Committee, in Florida’s 21st Congressional District.