Florida’s 22nd Congressional District is one of the most intriguing open-seat races in the state heading into the 2026 midterm elections, with nine candidates competing for the Democratic and Republican nominations.
The district was dramatically reshaped under Florida’s new congressional map and now stretches across South Florida, connecting portions of Southwest Florida with inland communities and areas of Palm Beach and Broward counties.
With no incumbent seeking reelection in the district, both parties have an opportunity to nominate a new candidate for Congress.
The Florida primary election takes place Tuesday, August 18, 2026, with the winners advancing to the November general election.
Who Is Running in Florida’s 22nd Congressional District in 2026?
Nine candidates are competing in the Democratic and Republican primaries for Florida’s 22nd Congressional District.
Democratic Candidates
Two candidates are seeking the Democratic nomination:
- Pia Dandiya
- Kaysia Earley
Republican Candidates
Seven candidates are competing for the Republican nomination:
- Casey Askar
- David Burck
- Michael Carbonara
- Richard Evans
- Terri Hasdorff
- Belinda Keiser
- Michael Thompson
The crowded field makes District 22 one of Florida’s congressional primaries to watch on August 18.
Florida District 22 Democratic Primary
The Democratic primary features Pia Dandiya against Kaysia Earley.
Dandiya previously launched a campaign in Florida’s former 21st Congressional District before moving into the newly configured District 22 race following the redrawing of Florida’s congressional map.
Earley is an attorney who has previously sought elected office in Florida and is competing with Dandiya for the opportunity to represent Democrats in the November general election.
With only two candidates, the Democratic side provides voters with a head-to-head contest while Republicans face a considerably more crowded primary.
Who Is Pia Dandiya?
Pia Dandiya is one of the two Democrats seeking the District 22 nomination.
Dandiya initially entered the 2026 election cycle as a candidate in Florida’s 21st District but shifted to District 22 after the new congressional boundaries changed the political landscape across South Florida.
She is now attempting to emerge as the Democratic nominee in a district that could receive significant attention from both parties during the general election.
Who Is Kaysia Earley?
Kaysia Earley is the other candidate seeking the Democratic nomination.
Earley is an attorney and has previously been involved in Florida politics, giving Democratic voters another candidate with experience in the political and legal arenas.
The winner between Earley and Dandiya will advance to the November 3 general election.
Florida District 22 Republican Primary
The Republican primary is considerably more crowded.
Seven candidates are competing for the GOP nomination:
Casey Askar, David Burck, Michael Carbonara, Richard Evans, Terri Hasdorff, Belinda Keiser and Michael Thompson.
The size of the field means a candidate does not necessarily need to receive anywhere close to a majority of the Republican vote to win the nomination.
Florida congressional primaries do not use runoff elections, meaning the candidate who receives the most votes on August 18 will become the Republican nominee.
That dynamic could make the seven-way GOP contest particularly unpredictable.
Who Is Casey Askar?
Casey Askar is one of the Republican candidates seeking the District 22 nomination.
Askar is a businessman who has previously sought congressional office in Florida and entered the 2026 race as part of a crowded Republican field.
The Republican primary has attracted significant campaign spending, making fundraising and advertising important factors during the final stretch before Election Day.
Who Is Belinda Keiser?
Belinda Keiser is another Republican candidate competing for the District 22 nomination.
Keiser is a business executive and longtime figure in Florida education and politics who has previously sought elected office.
She joins a field featuring candidates from a variety of business, political and professional backgrounds.
When Is the Florida District 22 Primary Election?
Florida’s 2026 primary election is scheduled for:
Date: Tuesday, August 18, 2026
Florida generally operates a closed primary system for partisan races.
Registered Republicans will choose among the seven GOP candidates, while registered Democrats will choose between Dandiya and Earley.
The winners advance to the general election on Tuesday, November 3, 2026.
Where Is Florida’s New 22nd Congressional District?
Florida’s newly configured 22nd Congressional District looks significantly different from the district that carried the same number before the 2026 redistricting.
The new district stretches across South Florida, beginning around the Marco Island and Southwest Florida area and extending east through inland portions of the state toward western Palm Beach and Broward counties.
The unusual geography creates a congressional district containing communities with different economic, demographic and political interests.
It also means voters should not assume the 2026 District 22 is the same congressional seat that existed during the previous election cycle.
Is Florida’s 22nd Congressional District Republican or Democratic?
The newly drawn District 22 appears to give Republicans an advantage based on the results of the most recent presidential election, although previous election results suggest the district could still be competitive.
Under the new boundaries, Donald Trump received approximately 54.6% of the district’s vote in the 2024 presidential election.
However, the same geographic area would have supported Joe Biden with more than 51% of the vote in 2020.
That shift illustrates why District 22 could attract attention during the November general election.
Republicans enter the race with an advantage based on the most recent presidential results, but the district’s previous voting patterns give Democrats reason to believe it could potentially become competitive under favorable conditions.
Does Florida District 22 Have an Incumbent?
No.
The newly configured Florida 22nd Congressional District is an open seat, meaning there is no sitting member of Congress running for reelection as the district’s incumbent.
That makes the August 18 primaries particularly important.
Rather than challenging an established representative, candidates from both parties have an opportunity to become the first member of Congress elected under the district’s new configuration.
Florida District 22 Candidates for 2026
Here is the primary field:
| Candidate | Party | 2026 Status |
|---|---|---|
| Pia Dandiya | Democratic | Primary candidate |
| Kaysia Earley | Democratic | Primary candidate |
| Casey Askar | Republican | Primary candidate |
| David Burck | Republican | Primary candidate |
| Michael Carbonara | Republican | Primary candidate |
| Richard Evans | Republican | Primary candidate |
| Terri Hasdorff | Republican | Primary candidate |
| Belinda Keiser | Republican | Primary candidate |
| Michael Thompson | Republican | Primary candidate |
Why Florida’s 22nd District Race Matters
Florida’s new congressional map has transformed the political landscape across South Florida, and District 22 is one of the clearest examples.
The district has no incumbent, a seven-candidate Republican primary and a two-candidate Democratic primary, while its presidential voting history suggests the general election could receive attention from both parties.
Republicans will attempt to capitalize on Donald Trump’s performance within the new district boundaries in 2024, while Democrats will look at the district’s 2020 presidential results as evidence that the seat is not necessarily out of reach.
First, voters must determine the nominees.
The Democratic matchup between Pia Dandiya and Kaysia Earley and the crowded Republican contest featuring Casey Askar, David Burck, Michael Carbonara, Richard Evans, Terri Hasdorff, Belinda Keiser and Michael Thompson will be decided in the August 18, 2026 Florida primary.
The winners will then move on to the November 3, 2026 general election, when voters will determine who represents Florida’s newly drawn 22nd Congressional District in the U.S. House of Representatives.
