Politics
Leela Gray clears $1M mark in effort to unseat Anna Paulina Luna
The Democrat closed the quarter with $750K in cash on hand.
Democratic congressional candidate Leela Gray has raised more than $1 million since launching her campaign seeking to challenge Republican U.S. Rep. Anna Paulina Luna.
The Pinellas Democrat passed the seven-figure milestone in the five months since first launching her campaign in Florida’s 13th Congressional District. Gray’s campaign said 90% of donations came from small contributions of less than $100.
“I am profoundly grateful for this support, which comes directly from neighbors, small business owners, veterans, and seniors who are looking for someone who will put them first in Congress,” Gray said.
“Every day, I meet people in this district who are working harder than ever, but feel left behind by a Congress more focused on partisan battles and personal agendas than getting results. Our current representative, Anna Paulina Luna, is the perfect example of what is broken in Washington. Voters are ready for change and accountability, and I’m running for Congress to put service over self and deliver for my neighbors.”
The retired Brigadier General closed the second quarter with $750,000 in cash on hand.
She’s running to unseat Luna, a Pinellas Republican first elected in 2022, when she flipped a seat previously held by a Democrat.
She has notably attracted endorsements from several sitting members of Congress since, including Democratic U.S. Reps. Kathy Castor of Tampa and Lois Frankel of West Palm Beach. U.S. Reps. Jason Crow of Colorado, Ted Lieu of California and Pat Ryan of New York are also backing Gray’s campaign.
That demonstrates the interest of House Democrats in flipping the seat. The Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee lists CD 13 among GOP-held “Districts in Play” in this year’s Midterms.
Former Chief Financial Officer Alex Sink, former state Rep. Ben Diamond and Safety Harbour Mayor Joe Ayoub have also endorsed her campaign.
Before Gray faces Luna, she first must win a Democratic Primary against intelligence analyst John Liccione and educator Brandt Robinson on Aug. 18.
