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Thank you to everyone who voted in the 2026 midterms and to everyone who helped a neighbor cast a ballot or learn about a local race.

Some of the results were hard to take, but we have a big win to celebrate. Democrat Pia Dandiya won Florida’s 22nd Congressional District, and she’ll represent part of Collier County in the U.S. House. After more than four decades, Collier County will once again have Democratic representation in Congress. Congratulations, Pia!

We have other progress to celebrate, too. Our candidates earned more votes in several races than in previous elections. That’s something we can take pride in, even in the races we lost.

I’m grateful to the candidates who stepped forward to run and to the volunteers who knocked on doors, made calls, greeted voters, and gave rides to the polls. I especially want to thank the people behind the scenes who pulled voter lists, mapped canvassing routes, and kept our headquarters running. Your work helped us reach more of our neighbors.

In the weeks ahead, we’ll look at what worked, where we fell short, and how we can do a better job of listening to people across Collier County. If you volunteered for the first time this year, I hope you’ll stay involved. If you’ve been thinking about getting involved, we’d love to hear from you.

Thank you for caring about this community and doing something about it.

Jane Schlechtweg

Chair, Collier County Democratic Party

U.S. House of Representatives

District 22

Pia Dandiya