Indian-origin Democrats Pia Dandiya, Suhas Subramanyam win US midterm races: All you need to know

Indian-origin Democrat Pia Dandiya has won Florida's redrawn 22nd Congressional District, defeating Republican candidate Casey Askar in one of South Florida's closely watched contests in the 2026 US midterm elections, CBS News projected.

Meanwhile, another Indian-origin Democrat, Suhas Subramanyam, has secured re-election to the US House from Virginia's 10th Congressional District, NBC News projected. He defeated Republican challenger Dave Beckwith and independent candidate Ahsen Malik to win a second term.

Pia Dandiya makes history in Florida

Dandiya's victory marks a milestone for the Indian-American community. She becomes the first Indian-American to be elected to the US House of Representatives from Florida and the 10th Indian-American to enter the US Congress, according to reports.

Born and raised in Palm Beach County to Indian immigrant parents, Dandiya previously worked as a teacher and high school principal in Harlem. She also served as a White House Fellow and worked at Apple.

Her campaign focused on education, affordability and economic opportunity. She will represent Florida's newly redrawn 22nd Congressional District, covering parts of Palm Beach, Broward, Hendry and Collier counties.

The district was reshaped in May 2026 as part of Republican Governor Ron DeSantis' congressional redistricting effort ahead of the midterm elections.

Also Read: US House race: Democrats take early lead with 102 seats, Republicans at 58; majority mark 218

Who is Suhas Subramanyam?

Born in Houston, Texas, on September 26, 1986, Subramanyam is the son of Indian immigrant parents who arrived in the US in 1979.

He graduated from Tulane University and later earned a law degree with honours from Northwestern University Pritzker School of Law. He worked as a technology and regulatory attorney before joining the administration of former US President Barack Obama as a White House technology policy adviser.

In that role, he worked on cybersecurity, government modernisation and artificial intelligence.

Subramanyam served in the Virginia House of Delegates from 2020 to 2024 and briefly represented the state in the Senate from 2024 to 2025. During his time in the state legislature, he sponsored laws aimed at reducing healthcare, utility and toll road costs.

He succeeded former Representative Jennifer Wexton in Virginia's 10th Congressional District. In the US House, he serves on the committees for Oversight and Government Reform, Science, Space and Technology, and Ethics. He is also the ranking member of the Subcommittee on Military and Foreign Affairs.