PLANTATION, Fla. (Diya TV) — Pete Buttigieg joined Democrat Pia Dandiya at a canvassing launch in Plantation on Monday, lending a prominent national surrogate to her campaign in Florida’s 22nd Congressional District, a newly redrawn seat that President Donald Trump carried by about 10.5 percentage points in 2024.
The event sent volunteers out to contact voters in the final week before the Nov. 3 election. Dandiya is challenging Republican Casey Askar for an open House seat that could help determine which party controls Congress. The Cook Political Report rates the race a toss-up, despite the district’s Republican lean.
Florida lawmakers redrew the district this spring as part of a Republican-backed map that reshaped several South Florida seats. The new boundaries changed a district that had favored Democrats into one Trump won by double digits. Rep. Lois Frankel, whose district changed substantially, chose to run in the new 23rd District, leaving the 22nd open. The new map gives Askar a clear partisan advantage, but forecasters still see a close contest.
Dandiya, a former teacher and high school principal who later worked in technology, has emphasized education and affordability. She has also joined the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee’s Red to Blue program, which provides campaign support to selected candidates in competitive districts. Buttigieg’s appearance added a nationally recognized surrogate to that effort as volunteers focused on voter contact.
The campaign faces a difficult electoral map and a significant spending gap. Federal filings covering activity through Oct. 14 showed Askar with about $1.88 million in campaign cash, compared with roughly $735,000 for Dandiya. Askar also lent his campaign about $6.69 million during the election cycle; filings showed that the campaign had repaid about $400,000.
Outside groups have added millions in independent spending. No Going Back PAC, funded by MAGA Inc., reported about $5.91 million opposing Dandiya. House Majority PAC reported roughly $7.84 million opposing Askar. Those groups spend independently of the candidates’ campaigns, so the figures do not represent direct contributions to either candidate.
The limited polling has not settled the contest. A late-August survey gave Dandiya a two-point lead, but a forecast model updated in October gave Askar a modest edge. The Cook Political Report’s toss-up rating reflects the uncertainty: the district favors Republicans on paper, while the candidates’ race remains competitive.
The election will test whether Dandiya can overcome the district’s new partisan makeup and financial imbalance. Buttigieg’s visit gave her campaign a high-profile canvassing event; the deciding factor will be whether volunteers can turn those voter contacts into ballots. Early voting in Broward and Palm Beach counties runs through Nov. 1, ahead of Election Day on Nov. 3.
