MIAMI — A Florida district redrawn this year that appeared to give Republicans an extra seat in Congress ended up remaining blue, as Democratic candidate Pia Dandiya is projected to win the seat over Republican nominee Casey Askar.

Dandiya, who centered her campaign on opposition to Medicaid cuts and President Donald Trump’s tariff policy, was ahead by a four-point margin when CNN called the race for her Tuesday night.

In a statement released Tuesday night, Dandiya struck a bipartisan chord.

“I’m not going to Washington to fight with people. I’m going to fight for people. Whether you are from Belle Glade or Marco Island, Parkland or Royal Palm, I will work tirelessly to lower the cost of living and stand up to the corruption in D.C. So you can spend less time worrying about making ends meet and more time building the life you want for your family. And I will work with anyone who is ready to put progress ahead of party,” Dandiya wrote.

Neither candidate lives in the district — for Congressional races, candidates are only required to live in the state.

Once entirely based in Palm Beach County, the district was redrawn to stretch from West Broward and Palm Beach counties through communities along the southern rim of Lake Okeechobee, all the way to the Gulf Coast in Collier County. It was one of four Democratic-held districts redrawn at the recommendation of Republican Gov. Ron DeSantis this year.

The plan was submitted after significant pressure from President Donald Trump to help Republicans in this year’s midterm elections. He and members of his administration asked GOP-led state governments across the country to tinker with their maps for partisan advantage. Other red states, like Texas and Missouri, made similar moves. Democratic-leaning California redrew its own maps for Democratic advantage in response to Texas.

According to one analysis, the district swung from supporting former Vice President Kamala Harris in the 2024 presidential election by 5.5 points to voting for President Donald Trump in that election by 10.7 points.

Republicans still did not get their way in FL-22.

“Even though this legislature tried to gerrymander us, what we have shown tonight is that we, the people, still have the power,” Dandiya wrote.

Askar, an entrepreneur and owner of a large Michigan-based pizza chain, was less present on the campaign trail than Dandiya. The Democratic nominee, a former high school principal turned lobbyist, held several in-person events in the district — more than 70, she told the Washington Sun — with prominent Democrats like former Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg and former White House Chief of Staff Rahm Emanuel.

One issue that divided Dandiya and Askar was the Affordable Care Act, also known as “Obamacare.” Askar sought to repeal and replace the policy, which was shepherded through Congress by former President Barack Obama in an effort to provide more health care coverage to Americans, due to increasing costs. Dandiya stressed that she would protect the program.

Askar hewed close to Trump in his messaging. His campaign materials tied him closely to the president, and he even vowed to rename Florida’s stretch of I-75 “President Donald J. Trump interstate.”

Television ads targeting both Dandiya and Askar carpeted the airwaves in the days leading up to the election. One hit Dandiya as a pro-government liberal who would increase a voter’s tax bill. Another ad brought up lawsuits filed against Askar’s businesses and said he would work to “give millionaires just like himself a massive tax cut.”

The seat is currently held by Democratic Rep. Lois Frankel, who was redistricted into the 23rd Congressional District. Frankel ran for election to that district, a slightly more Democratic-friendly area in Palm Beach County which she held Tuesday night.

What were voters saying?

Voters at one polling place in the new district, in the heart of Davie, were enthused about their options. But they didn’t know much about Dandiya or Askar.

Marie and Earl Tufts, a 70- and 66-year-old couple, acknowledged that “things are tough right now” with the price squeeze that many are feeling. Committed Republicans, they said they believe that Trump will end the war in Iran soon after the election.

“It’s kind of like we’ve always been told with the stock market: You’ve got to stick it out the long way,” Marie Tufts said.

The Tufts said Trump’s handling of the border, where illegal immigration has slowed significantly, leaves them satisfied with how Republicans have handled their seat of power.

They were also worried about the rise of self-identifying socialists within the Democratic ranks like Angie Nixon, the Democratic U.S. Senate candidate who is a member of the Democratic Socialists of America.

Marie Tufts said she believes young people have taken a liking to socialists, and it’s voters in her generation’s task to “cancel out the kids.”

“It is really important for people like us … to cancel out their vote. We can’t let them ruin it for us just because they don’t know and they’ve never been taught,” Marie Tufts said.

Maury Litsinberger, who moved from Venezuela in 1993, said the same about socialism. She offered praise for the Trump administration’s apprehension of former Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro, a socialist.

“I want to continue on the path that we are right now. No open borders. Even though I’m an immigrant, I came here legally,” Litsinberger, who voted straight Republican, said.

The Tufts said they didn’t hear too much about the 22nd Congressional District, the completely new district drawn during this year’s redistricting push that pitted Democratic nominee Pia Dandiya against GOP candidate Casey Askar.

“Pia ‘whatever’ – she’s just as crooked as they are,” Marie Tufts said.

Other voters were just as amped about voting for Democrats — including one member of Generation Z.

Jessica Bowlby, a 22-year-old undergraduate student at Florida Gulf Coast University, drove back home from school to vote at her Davie polling place. She said she was excited to help usher in a potential “Blorida,” shorthand for “Blue Florida.”

Her biggest issues were LGBTQ and abortion rights, opposition to the war in Iran and rising prices.

“I’m a broke college student. What I’m spending all my money on is groceries and gas, so it’s really hard,” Bowlby said.

She doesn’t recall hearing anything about Dandiya in the lead up to the election, but was sure she voted for her.

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