Archive · 19 Aug 2026
Pia Dandiya Wins Florida Democratic Primary, Faces Askar
Pia Dandiya won the Democratic race to represent Florida’s 22nd congressional district.
She defeated Kaysia Earley, although the articles give different percentages for Dandiya’s victory.
Casey Askar won the Republican nomination and will compete against Dandiya in November.
The election will be held on November 3.
The district does not currently have an incumbent running there.
Dandiya is an educator and former school principal who founded a high school.
Her campaign says she wants to lower costs and improve education.
The Democratic Party hopes to win the seat, while election analysts say the district leans Republican.
If Dandiya wins, she would be the first South Asian American to represent Florida in Congress.
Pia Dandiya won Florida’s 22nd Congressional District Democratic primary against attorney Kaysia Earley.
The articles report differing results: Dandiya received either 61.3% or 68.6% of the vote, while Earley received 31.4% in one account.
Dandiya will face Republican nominee Casey Askar, a businessman and Marine veteran, in the November 3 general election.
The open-seat district covers parts of Broward, Palm Beach, Hendry, and Collier counties and is rated leaning Republican by two election analysts.
If elected, Dandiya would become the first South Asian American to represent Florida in the US Congress.
- Who
- Pia Dandiya, Kaysia Earley, Casey Askar, and voters in Florida’s 22nd Congressional District.
- What
- Dandiya won the Democratic primary and will face Askar in the November 3 general election.
- When
- The Democratic primary was held on Tuesday; the articles were published on August 19, 2026, and the general election is scheduled for November 3.
- Where
- Florida’s 22nd Congressional District, covering parts of Broward, Palm Beach, Hendry, and Collier counties.
- Why
- The candidates are competing for an open House seat that both parties consider important in the contest for control of the US House.
Democratic campaign and party view
Republican-leaning electoral outlook
Prospects for the seat
Democratic campaign and party view
The Democratic National Committee describes the district as an opportunity to flip the seat and says the party aims to regain the House majority.
Republican-leaning electoral outlook
The Cook Political Report and Sabato’s Crystal Ball rate the district as leaning Republican.
Campaign priorities
Democratic campaign and party view
Dandiya’s platform includes reducing household costs, supporting universal pre-kindergarten, strengthening public schools, expanding vocational training, and protecting Social Security, Medicare, and reproductive rights.
Republican-leaning electoral outlook
The articles do not provide Askar’s policy platform or a direct statement from his campaign.
District competitiveness
Democratic campaign and party view
The DNC has placed the race among its priority contests and says Dandiya can appeal to working families in South Florida.
Republican-leaning electoral outlook
The district’s reported voting history and analyst ratings suggest Republicans currently have an electoral advantage, although the seat is being contested by both national parties.
- Democratic nominee
- Pia Dandiya
- Primary result
- The articles differ: one reports Dandiya received 61.3%, while two accounts report 68.6% and Kaysia Earley 31.4%.
- Republican nominee
- Casey Askar
- General election
- November 3
- District
- Florida’s 22nd Congressional District
- District coverage
- Parts of Broward, Palm Beach, Hendry, and Collier counties
- Race rating
- Leaning Republican, according to The Cook Political Report and Sabato’s Crystal Ball
- Potential milestone
- Dandiya would be the first South Asian American to represent Florida in the US Congress if elected
