Brigadier General (Ret) Leela Gray Outraises Incumbent Anna Paulina Luna in Commanding First Quarter

Gray Maintained A Lean Operation with an 11% Burn Rate While Luna Exhausted Nearly Half Her Raised Funds

ST. PETERSBURG, FL – The Leela Gray for Congress campaign today announced it had outraised incumbent Congresswoman Anna Paulina Luna after demonstrating a commanding fundraising performance for the first reporting period. In just 56 days, Gray raised $564,000 and entered the second quarter with $500,000 cash on hand: a record for a Democratic challenger's first quarter fundraising in Florida’s 13th Congressional District.*

The latest FEC filings reveal a stark contrast between Gray and Luna’s campaigns. While Congresswoman Luna spent nearly 45% of her raised funds, Gray’s campaign spent less than 11%. Gray’s disciplined, focused approach ensures that the campaign has maximum resources heading into the critical months of the election cycle.

“When people in this community reach into their own pockets to support this movement, they aren't looking for more political theater; they are demanding leadership over chaos,” said Gray. “Our neighbors, our veterans, and our local business owners are tired of being used as a backdrop for Congresswoman Luna’s personal agenda. They want a representative who understands that this office is about service over self, not self-promotion. It’s time for real accountability.”

The $564,000 raised by Gray comes from a diverse coalition of supporters tired of an absent representative ignoring the cost of living crisis. This grassroots momentum helped Gray secure the endorsements of notable community and business leaders, as well as leading Democratic organizations, including:

• Congresswoman Kathy Castor (FL-14)

• EMILY’s List, the nation’s premier resource for electing Democratic women. 

• VoteVets, which represents and advocates on behalf of 1.5 million veterans and military families across the nation, endorsed Gray’s campaign. 

• Whitney Fox, 2024 Democratic candidate for FL-13.
  

With a commanding cash advantage and a growing coalition of local and national supporters, Gray is uniquely positioned to flip this seat and deliver common sense and experienced leadership for Pinellas families.