Congresswoman Lois Frankel Endorses Leela Gray for Florida's 13th Congressional District

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

DATE: June 30th, 2026

St. Petersburg, FL — Today, retired Brigadier General and Democratic congressional candidate Leela Gray announced the endorsement of Congresswoman Lois Frankel (FL-22), co-chair of the House Democratic Women's Caucus and a senior member of Congress.

"I am proud to endorse Leela Gray for Congress because she understands the struggles of working families — not from a textbook, but from a lifetime of hard work, service, and sacrifice,” said Frankel. “As a working mom, veteran, and proven leader who served our nation for 30 years in uniform and fought for veterans and economic opportunity here at home, Leela has the grit, experience, and heart to deliver for the people of Pinellas County.”

"Congresswoman Frankel has spent her career delivering for working families and fighting for women to have a seat at the table,” said Gray. “She knows what real leadership looks like, and she sees it in this campaign. I don't take that lightly. I look forward to working alongside her to actually fight for the hard-working people of Pinellas County."

Frankel joins a growing coalition of community leaders and national organizations that have recognized Gray as the battle-tested leader Florida needs in Congress. The list includes the Florida AFL-CIO, Congresswoman Kathy Castor (FL-14), Former State Representative Ben Diamond, Ruth’s List founder Alex Sink, fellow veterans and U.S. Reps. Jason Crow, Pat Ryan, and Ted Lieu, Safety Harbor Mayor Joe Ayoub, EMILY’s List, New Politics, and VoteVets.

About Leela Gray

Retired Army Brigadier General Leela Gray is a third-generation veteran, attorney, small business leader, and mother running for Congress in Florida's 13th Congressional District. The first in her family to attend college, Leela worked her way through school and served more than 30 years in uniform, including two combat deployments and a peacekeeping mission. She retired in 2018 as Deputy Commanding General of the U.S. Army Central and subsequently advised U.S. Army Cyber Command on modernizing national cyber policy. After retiring from the military, Leela served on non-profit and private sector advisory boards, and earned her law degree to help veterans access healthcare and other critical benefits. Leela and her husband, Tony, have lived in the Tampa Bay area for more than 20 years and are proud parents of their adult daughter. Learn more at leelagray.com.

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