Piya Dandiya of Indian origin has created history in the US midterm elections. He defeated Republican candidate Casey Askar for Florida's 22nd Congressional seat. Piya's parents had gone to America from Jaipur. She has also been a teacher by profession.
Washington: Pia Dandiya of Indian origin has registered a big victory in the US mid-term elections 2026. Democratic Party candidate Pia has defeated Republican candidate Casey Askar from Florida's 22nd Congressional District. With this, she has become the first Indian-American to be elected to the US House of Representatives from Florida. His victory is also being discussed in India, especially in Rajasthan, because his family belongs to Jaipur.
By how many votes did Piya Dandiya win the election?
In the mid-term elections held on November 3 in America, there was a tough contest for the 22nd Congressional seat of Florida. The Democratic Party had fielded Piya Dandiya from this seat, while KC Askar was in the fray from the Republican Party. According to preliminary election data, Piya got 51.9 percent votes, while Askar got 48.1 percent votes. The difference in votes between the two was less, but Piya took the lead and won. American media organizations have also confirmed his victory.
The election on this seat was also in discussion because the boundaries of Florida's electoral areas were changed in 2026. After the new delimitation, several new areas were included in the 22nd Congressional District. In such a situation, there was a competition between new candidates instead of any sitting MP. After Piya's victory, the number of leaders of Indian origin in the US House of Representatives will increase.
What is the relation of Piya Dandiya with Jaipur, Rajasthan?
Pia Dandiya was born in Palm Beach County, Florida state, USA. His childhood was also spent there, but his family's roots are in India. His parents had settled in America from Jaipur, the capital of Rajasthan. Pia's father Dr. Rohit Dandiya is a doctor by profession, while her mother founded a Montessori school.
Growing up in America, Pia remained connected to Indian culture because of her family. She had told in an interview that she used to come to India often in her childhood. Pia is a first-generation Indian-American. After his victory, his family connection with Jaipur is also being discussed. According to media reports, she is the 10th leader of Indian origin to be elected to the US Congress. At the same time, she has created a new record as the first Indian-American woman to reach the House of Representatives from Florida.
Became the school principal at the age of 28
Piya Dandiya's political journey was not limited to politics from the beginning. She started her career as a teacher. She later became the principal of a high school in the Harlem area of New York. Pia took over as the founding principal of a high school at the age of 28. At the time, she was one of America's youngest high school principals.
According to his election campaign website, 86 percent of the children attending the school were from low-income families. Despite this, under his leadership all the students who completed their studies from school got admission in college. After working in the field of education, Pia also took responsibility in the American government. She has been a White House Fellow and has participated in work related to the US Department of Education.
After this he also worked in tech company Apple. Here his responsibility was related to improving facilities like government services and education with the help of technology.
What issues did Piya Dandiya raise in the election campaign?
Pia Dandiya talked about the problems that ordinary American families are facing during the elections. He made inflation and rising housing costs an important issue of his campaign. Apart from this, the need to reduce the expenditure on children's education, job opportunities and treatment was also mentioned. Piya said that it is becoming difficult for many families to meet their daily expenses. She wants to take the voice of such people to the US Parliament.
KC Askar of Republican Party was contesting in front of him. Askar is a businessman and has also served in the US Marines. He supported tax, trade and Donald Trump's policies in his campaign. At the same time, Piya Dandiya had defeated lawyer Kesia Early in the Democratic Party primary elections held in August 2026. After this the party nominated him from the 22nd Congressional seat of Florida.
Piya Dandiya will be seen in the US Parliament from January 2027
After winning the 22nd Congressional seat of Florida, Pia Dandiya will now become a member of the US House of Representatives. His tenure will start from January 2027. In America, members of the House of Representatives are elected for two years.
Now it will be Piya's turn to work on the promises made in the elections. During the campaign, he had raised the issue of inflation, education, employment and increasing expenses of the people. After becoming an MP, she will be able to present these problems of her area in the Parliament. His work will also be monitored by those people who have supported him keeping these issues in mind.