Pia Dandiya wins Florida House seat, flips new district blue

Indian-American Pia Dandiya has won the election to the US House of Representatives from Florida's 22nd congressional district, defeating Marine veteran Casey Askar, news agency Press Trust of India reported.

Dandiya, a former high school principal, secured 51.9 per cent of the votes to become the newest Indian-American congresswoman, according to results declared on Tuesday. Askar polled 49.1 per cent.

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

She later shifted to South Florida's 22nd district, which was created during redistricting and had no incumbent in the fray.

“Florida's 22nd District was one of the most competitive districts for Democrats, and Pia just turned it blue,” Chintan Patel, executive director of Indian American Impact, said in a statement cited by PTI.

“Indian American Impact has been proud to support her from the beginning, and we congratulate her on her victory tonight,” Patel said.

Dandiya is a first-generation American who has worked as a high school principal, policy leader and technology innovator, according to her campaign website. Born and raised in Palm Beach County, Florida, she began her career as a teacher and later served as a high school principal in Harlem.

She founded a high school aimed at helping students from low-income families achieve economic independence. Every graduate of the school secured college admission, even though 86 per cent came from low-income households.

Dandiya became the founding principal of the school at the age of 28, making her one of the youngest high school principals in the country, according to her campaign website. Her victory in Florida's newly created 22nd district has now secured her a seat in the US House of Representatives.