National Democrats go all in on flipping Anna Paulina Luna's reshaped seat

Shauna Muckle, Tampa Bay Times on Aug 20, 2026

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TAMPA, Fla. — The Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee announced Thursday that it is adding GOP Rep. Anna Paulina Luna’s seat to its list of top flip opportunities this fall.

The news comes after retired Brig. Gen. Leela Gray, who has raised more than $1 million, easily won the Democratic primary for Congressional District 13 on Tuesday.

Gray is now one of about three dozen challengers nationwide who are part of Democrats’ Red to Blue program, which offers “top-tier” candidates increased visibility, funding opportunities and training.

“Anna Paulina Luna went to Washington to serve herself and her wealthy friends, and has broken the promises she made to the people she represents,” Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee chairperson Suzan DelBene said in a statement. “Leela Gray spent 30 years serving our country in uniform, and she’ll bring that same service-over-self leadership to Congress. ... Leela has what it takes to defeat Luna and flip this seat.”

The GOP’s mid-decade redistricting cycle this spring made Luna’s seat slightly safer than it was before. It now includes a sliver of coastal Pasco County and excludes much of urban St. Petersburg. The new district would have gone for President Donald Trump by more than 13 points in 2024.

But Democrats are bullish on their prospects in Florida. They point in part to state Rep. Emily Gregory’s special election win earlier this year in Palm Beach County, where she swung a state House district blue by around 13 points compared to Trump’s 2024 performance.

Luna has raised more than $3 million this cycle. Cook Political Report, a ratings service, considers the seat “likely Republican.”

National Republican Congressional Committee spokesperson Maureen O’Toole signaled confidence in a statement.

“Plain and simple: Anna Paulina Luna has always delivered for Florida families, and voters are fired up to reelect her in November,” O’Toole said. “Leela Gray is running for Congress to be a rubber-stamp for Democrats’ socialist agenda, and anyone thinking she’ll win should have their head checked.”

Democrats considered Luna’s seat a top flip opportunity in 2024, too, when she bested challenger Whitney Fox by nearly 10 points.

Democrats are also targeting reshaped Districts 12 and 16. Gray is the only Tampa Bay candidate in the “red to blue” program, signaling Democrats’ belief that Luna’s seat is more competitive.