Indian-American Democrat Pia Dandiya has won a closely contested seat in Florida's 22nd Congressional District in the 2026 US midterm elections, according to projections by Decision Desk HQ and CBS News, becoming the third South Asian American woman elected to the US House of Representatives. Democrats also flipped their first Senate seat of the cycle in North Carolina, while Republican Indian-American candidate Vivek Ramaswamy trailed in the Ohio governor's race as of early results.

Dandiya's Victory in Florida

Dandiya defeated Republican Casey Askar in the race for Florida's 22nd Congressional District. Decision Desk HQ called the race at 8:05 pm, and CBS News separately projected her win. NBC News also marked the race as a projected victory, with Dandiya leading by 51.9% to 48.1% with approximately 97.6% of the expected vote counted and more than 292,000 votes tallied.

A former school principal, Dandiya ran in a newly redrawn South Florida district that had been flagged as one of the competitive House races capable of influencing chamber control. The Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee said on X that 'Pia focused on the issues that matter most to South Florida — addressing the affordability crisis and making sure that everyone has the opportunity to achieve the American Dream.'

Indian-American Representative Pramila Jayapal congratulated Dandiya on X, saying she was 'so excited to welcome the third South Asian American woman' to the House.

Other Indian-American Candidates: Wins and Trail

Earlier in the evening, Indian-American Democrats Suhas Subramanyam and Aruna Miller were projected to win re-election. NBC News projected Subramanyam's victory in Virginia's 10th Congressional District, where he led with 61.4% against Republican challenger Dave Beckwith's 36.5% with about 88.7% of the expected vote counted. The win gives Subramanyam, who entered Congress in 2025 and became Virginia's first Indian-American member of Congress in 2024, a second two-year term. He posted on X: 'The campaign is over, but the work is just beginning.'

In Maryland, Indian-American Lieutenant Governor Aruna Miller secured another term after NBC News projected Democratic Governor Wes Moore's re-election. Miller and Moore defeated the Republican ticket of former state delegate Dan Cox and running mate Rob Krop.

In Ohio, Ramaswamy — a biotechnology entrepreneur, former Republican presidential candidate, and a figure endorsed by President Donald Trump and Governor Mike DeWine — trailed Democrat Amy Acton in the governor's race. With approximately 46% of the expected vote counted, Acton held 54.3% against Ramaswamy's 42.8%. NBC News said the contest was too early to call and that Ramaswamy would need to win 53.5% of the remaining vote to overtake Acton. Ramaswamy is seeking to succeed term-limited Governor DeWine.

In North Carolina, Republican Indian-American candidate Mahesh 'Max' Ganorkar lost to Democratic Representative Valerie Foushee in the 4th Congressional District, NBC News projected. Foushee led by 82.9% to 15.6%. In Massachusetts, independent Indian-American candidate Shiva Ayyadurai was defeated as Democratic Senator Ed Markey was projected to win re-election.

Races involving Indian-American candidates in Georgia (Jyot Singh), Texas (Pooja Sethi), New York (Saritha Komatireddy), Arizona (Amish Shah), and California (Ro Khanna, Ami Bera, Nithya Raman) were either too early to call or awaiting poll closures as of 9 pm Eastern.

Democrats Flip North Carolina Senate Seat

At the national level, Democrats picked up their first Senate seat of the midterms when former Governor Roy Cooper won the North Carolina seat vacated by retiring Republican Senator Thom Tillis, defeating Republican Michael Whatley. Cooper led by approximately 61% to 37% with about 72% of the vote counted. Cooper posted on X: 'North Carolina — I'm grateful for your trust.'

Elsewhere, Democratic Senator Jon Ossoff was projected to win re-election in Georgia, defeating Republican Congressman Mike Collins by 60.2% to 39.8%. Democrat Chris Pappas won New Hampshire's Senate race. Republican Senator Ashley Moody won Florida's special election for Marco Rubio's former seat. Democratic Senator Mark Warner claimed a new term in Virginia, posting on X: 'Thank you, Virginia! I'm honored and grateful to continue serving as your United States Senator.'

Where the House and Senate Stood

Republicans entered election night with a 53-47 Senate majority. As of approximately 9 pm Eastern, NBC News counted 45 Democratic and 34 Republican seats, with Democrats up one seat. In the House, where 218 seats are needed for a majority and Democrats need a net gain of three seats, NBC had projected 74 seats for Democrats and 32 for Republicans. Several competitive swing seats in Virginia were still being counted.

As results continue to come in from later-closing states including California and Washington, the final composition of both chambers — and the fortunes of several Indian-American candidates — remains to be determined.