Pia Dandia, daughter of an Indian-origin doctor from Rajasthan, elected to the US House of Representatives from Florida

November 4, 2026

New York: Indian-origin Pia Dandia has won a landslide victory in the US midterm elections. The daughter of an Indian-origin doctor from Rajasthan, Pia has been elected to the US House of Representatives from Florida. She defeated Republican candidate Casey Askar to win this election. Pia received 51.9 percent of the vote.

The Democratic Party retained the seat despite plans to change the boundaries of its constituency. Pia’s victory is being seen as a blow to President Donald Trump’s strategy of changing the boundaries of some constituencies to strengthen the Republican Party’s electoral prospects.

Pia becomes the ninth member of Indian origin

Pia Dandia has become the ninth member of Indian origin to be elected to the US House of Representatives. Before her, Dalip Singh Saundh was elected to the US Parliament in 1956.

While studying at Harvard University, Pia worked as a volunteer in New Delhi during her summer vacations, teaching English to children from economically disadvantaged families.

Trump’s Constituency Reorganization Plan Setback

Pia’s constituency is located near President Donald Trump’s Mar-a-Lago estate, although this area does not include his estate. The redrawing of the boundaries of this constituency expanded it into parts of Palm Beach County and three other counties.

This change was intended to reduce the influence of the Democratic Party and strengthen the Republican Party’s position. However, the Democratic Party succeeded in winning the seat.

Longtime Democratic leader Lois Franel, who represented this seat, decided to run in a neighboring constituency, which led to Pia being nominated.

Journey from Teacher to School Principal and then to the Technology Sector

Pia began her career as a teacher under the volunteer program called “Teach for America.” This program sends teachers to schools in economically disadvantaged areas.

She then founded and became principal of a school in Harlem, New York. This achievement made her one of the youngest school principals in America.

Approximately 86 percent of the students at her school came from economically disadvantaged families. Despite this, all those who completed her school successfully attended college.

Pia also received the prestigious White House Fellowship. This program provides talented young people with the opportunity to work with senior government officials and gain administrative experience.

She then worked at the technology company Apple, where she worked with state governments to modernize education, healthcare, and government systems.

Parents Call Her Inspiration

Pia cited her parents as her biggest inspiration in an election advertisement. She said that her parents taught her to leave the world better than she found it.

She said this learning inspired her, as a teacher and principal, to help students who others had overlooked. Now, she wants to work to reduce healthcare costs for working families, protect Social Security and Medicare, ban lawmakers from stock trading, and cut taxes for the middle class.

Pia said she was running for Congress to protect America’s democratic values. According to her, this is a crucial time for the country, as some politicians in Washington are undermining the plans that offer millions of citizens the opportunity for a better future.

According to her campaign, she will work to hold accountable those who threaten the country’s core values ​​and to build a future that prioritizes development over political polarization.

Pia stated on Facebook that her campaign received a total of $3.9 million from 24,000 donors. Of these, 93 percent contributed $100 or less. This is seen as a sign of her grassroots support.