Pia Dandiya, candidate for US Congress

Indian-American former school principal Pia Dandiya won the Democratic primary for Florida’s 22nd congressional district, setting up a contest with Republican Casey Askar, a veteran Marine, in the November elections.

Dandiya bagged 68.6 per cent of the votes to defeat Kaysia Earley, a lawyer, who managed to gather 31.4 per cent.

“Thank you, FL-22, for believing in this campaign. I got into this race for my students, my son, and every kid growing up in this district who deserves a better future,” Dandiya said in a message on X.

“Together, we will keep building a movement to lower costs, end corruption, and make Washington work for us again. I’m grateful to do it with you all,” she said.

The Democratic National Committee congratulated Dandiya on her victory in the primary election.

“As an educator and longtime leader in her community, Pia has dedicated herself to expanding opportunity and fighting for working families. She is ready to fight in Congress to lower the costs of groceries, healthcare, and housing for South Florida families, the Committee said in a statement.

“The DNC is ready to help elect Pia, flip this seat, and take back the House majority in November,” the statement said.

Born to parents who migrated to the US from India, Dandiya had earlier sought to challenge Republican Brian Mast, the chairman of the House Foreign Affairs Committee, from Florida’s 21st district.

The former high school principal later shifted to South Florida's 22nd district that was carved out in redistricting and where no incumbent was in the fray.

Dandiya is a first-generation American who has dedicated her career to strengthening communities as a high school principal, policy leader and technology innovator, according to her campaign website.

Born and raised in Palm Beach County in Florida, Dandiya started her career as a teacher and was a high school principal in Harlem.

She founded a high school with the goal of changing life trajectories for low-income students by putting them on a path to economic freedom.

Every single graduate of her high school earned admission to college, despite 86 per cent of them living in low-income households.

She was the founding principal of her school at the age of 28, making her one of the youngest high school principals in the country, according to the campaign website.

Published on August 19, 2026