FL-22 Wellington, Marco Island
Florida
Not calledR -1.0closes 8:00 pm ET
Toss-upopen seat
Who's running
Casey AskarR
Casey Askar is a 57-year-old Naples businessman who owns restaurant franchises. He was born in Iraq and served in the Marines. He ran for Congress in 2020 and finished third, and he won this year's primary with 31 percent.
What they say they'll do
- Wealthy restaurant franchise owner
- Marine veteran born in Iraq
- Endorsed by Trump and DeSantis
Pia DandiyaD
Pia Dandiya is a 39-year-old Palm Beach native and Harvard graduate. She was a high school teacher and principal, a White House fellow, and a manager at Apple. She won the Democratic primary with about 69 percent.
What they say they'll do
- Former teacher and principal
- Ex-Apple manager
- Runs on anti-corruption
The tea ☕
- This is a brand-new district. Democrat Lois Frankel held the old seat for 14 years but left to run in the 23rd after Florida redrew the map. The new lines went from Harris +5 to Trump +10.
- The Bulwark reported Askar deleted 2021 tweets that questioned Trump's conduct and showed interest in progressive politics. He now calls himself a true Trump conservative.
- A Trump-aligned super PAC spent more than $3.7 million against Dandiya. Republicans call her an Apple lobbyist, which she denies. Askar called her a socialist, which she rejects.
Sources
- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2026_United_States_House_of_Representatives_elections_in_Florida
- https://www.wlrn.org/government-politics/2026-10-22/desantis-congressional-map-was-designed-to-flip-4-seats-to-the-gop-will-it
- https://www.thebulwark.com/p/casey-askar-florida-maga-candidate-22nd-district-tweets