Pia Dandiya, a former school principal and manager of the Apple Strategic Innovations Group, is the Democratic nominee for the open 22nd congressional district seat in Florida in 2026 against Republican Casey Askar.
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- Birthplace
- Palm Beach County, Florida
Biography & Campaign Analysis
Background
Pia Dandiya is a first-generation Indian American born in Palm Beach County, Florida. During college she taught English to children in New Delhi, India, an experience she has said influenced her desire to become an educator. She lives in Palm Beach County with her husband and son.
Career
At the age of 28, Pia Dandiya became the founding principal of Democracy Prep Endurance High School in Harlem, New York, becoming one of the youngest principals in the United States. She was selected as a White House Fellow in 2020, and after leaving the fellowship program she entered the private sector as a lobbyist for Apple. She is a manager of the Apple Strategic Innovations Group.
2026 race
Florida's 22nd congressional district is open in 2026 because Democratic incumbent Lois Frankel, re-elected with 55.0% of the vote in 2024, is running in the 23rd district. Pia Dandiya first filed to run in the 21st district against Republican Brian Mast before moving to the 22nd.
She won the Democratic primary on August 18 with 68.6% of the vote, defeating attorney Kaysia Earley, who received 31.4%.
Her Republican opponent is Casey Askar, a businessman and candidate for the 19th district in 2020, who won a seven-candidate Republican primary with 30.9% of the vote ahead of businessman Michael Carbonara and Keiser University vice chancellor Belinda Keiser.
Dandiya and Askar meet in the general election on November 3, 2026.