Florida’s 22nd Congressional District, held for 14 years by Democrat Lois Frankel, is one of four seats Republicans hope to flip this year under the mid-decade redistricting map drawn at Gov. Ron DeSantis’ request. The district now covers inland Palm Beach County, the Broward County communities of Wellington and Parkland, all of rural Hendry County and southern Collier County.
On paper, the change is large. The district backed Kamala Harris by more than five points in 2024 under the old lines, and it now favors Donald Trump by more than 10 points. The Cook Political Report has moved the race to a toss-up.
Frankel is running in the 23rd District instead. Democrat Pia Dandiya, 39, a former teacher and principal who later worked for Apple, won the August Democratic primary for the 22nd. She faces Republican Casey Askar, a Naples restaurant franchise owner who won his primary with 31% of the vote. Askar did not respond to the Phoenix’s interview request, so the outlet relied on public records and his statements.
Both candidates back a ban on congressional stock trading. Republicans have criticized Dandiya’s time at Apple, saying her work amounted to lobbying, a claim she disputes.
Outside money is pouring in. A Trump-aligned super PAC has spent more than $3.76 million against Dandiya, according to midtermmoney.com. Democratic groups announced $10 million in spending across eight House races, including this one. Republicans hold about an 8-point voter registration edge in the district, though voters there also backed the 2024 abortion rights amendment by about 20 points.
