Gen. Leela Gray to Take on Anna Paulina Luna in Battleground FL-13

For Immediate Release

Date: August 18, 2026

Contact: Billy Perlmutter | billy@leelagray.com

"There is a problem-solving vacuum in Washington, and I have the experience to change that."

St. Petersburg, FL — Brigadier General (Ret.) Leela Gray has won the Democratic primary to take on Congresswoman Anna Paulina Luna this fall in battleground FL-13. Gray released the following statement:

“I am honored to accept the Democratic nomination to take on and defeat Congresswoman Luna this falI. I could not be more proud of how we ran this campaign: powered by people and never taking a dime of corporate PAC money.

“I would like to thank all the other candidates for running a hard-fought race. Let us be clear: far more unites us than divides us. We are united in wanting to make healthcare accessible and gas and groceries affordable. We are united in the disgust we feel from the corruption on display in Washington today. And we are united in our strong desire to vote Luna out of office.

"During my 30 years in uniform and beyond, I experienced the best of our country, working with Americans from all walks of life. We set aside personal and political differences, all in an effort to accomplish the mission before us. When you looked left and right, you did not see someone who belonged to a political party, you saw someone you trusted to do their part to accomplish the mission and deliver for our country.

“In office, while tackling the cost of living crisis, I will also tackle Washington corruption. We are going to do a real stock-trading ban on officials in Washington, we are going to pass a ban on corporate lobbying for former Members of Congress; we are going to implement term limits; and we are going to pass a law that holds Congress to the same ethical standards as our military.”

“It’s time we had a representative who finally puts our community first and service over self. Those are the values I live by, and what I will bring to Congress.”

The following are the remarks as prepared for delivery:

Good evening, neighbors of Pinellas and Pasco Counties!

It is official: I will be the Democratic nominee to take on and defeat Congresswoman Anna Paulina Luna this falI. I could not be more proud of how we ran this campaign: powered by the people who care about our country and not taking a dime of corporate PAC money.

Brandt Robinson just called me to concede. I would like to thank him and all the other candidates, their staff, and their volunteers for a hard-fought race. With the primary behind us, let us be clear—far more unites us than divides us

We are ALL united in the focus to make healthcare accessible and gas and groceries affordable.

We are ALL united in the disgust we feel witnessing the corruption on display in Washington these days…

Most of all, we are ALL united in believing that Luna has absolutely no business representing us in Washington. And it is going to take ALL of us to defeat her and by us sending the first female general in history to to Congress - we will restore a focus of “Service Over Self” to Capitol Hill

To win this race, we are going to bring together Democrats, Independents, and Republicans. And, I know a thing or two about winning over Republicans, because my husband was a registered Republican as recently as six months ago. It seems like I won him over. (wink)

You are going to be hearing a lot about me these next few months from my opponent, so how about I share some of my story first.

I grew up in a working-class household with two hardworking parents: My Dad was an Air Force veteran and small business owner who had his own auto mechanic shop; my Mom helped him run the business and worked multiple second shift jobs to pay the bills.

And yet, because of economic forces beyond their control, my parents strained to make ends meet. Still, even in the leanest of times, they always found a way to help others who were struggling more than us.

No matter how tough things got, we were always grounded by a strong work ethic and the belief there was opportunity on the horizon.

That is where the Army came in. When I joined ROTC in college, I knew I had found my place… and that I was to lead a life of “Service Over Self.” Over the next 30 years, I would go on to… command at every level, serve in combat zones, negotiate billion-dollar budgets on Capitol Hill, work at the State Department, and advise Army Cyber Command. I led units from 100 people to 10,000 people. In 2018, I retired at the rank of Brigadier General… and have been a loud and proud member of the veterans community ever since. Where are my veterans? Thank you for your service!

During my 30 years in uniform and beyond, I experienced the best of our country—working with Americans from all walks of life. We set aside personal and political differences, all in an effort to accomplish the mission. When you looked left and right, you did not see someone who belonged to a political party, you saw someone you cared about… someone you trusted to do their part to accomplish the mission and deliver for our country.

I will take the same approach in Washington—I will focus on results. I am running for Congress because there is a problem-solving vacuum in Washington, and I have the experience to change that.

Today, Americans are rightfully angry: millions have had their healthcare ripped away; the cost of living is too high because of tariff taxes, and gas prices have skyrocketed because of the war in Iran—all of which the administration did by choice and were rubber stamped by Congress.

This administration and Congress lacks focus. They lack leadership. As a result, they have put our national security at risk. I personally know some of the leaders that Pete Hegseth has purged from the military. These are proven patriots, tossed aside to satisfy a political agenda.

They deserve better—and so do the Sailors aboard the USS Lincoln and their families who are suffering because of this administration’s disastrous decision to go to war without clear strategic objectives. If I were a Member of the House Armed Services Committee, I would demand answers from this administration on the operational situation and how they plan to support the mental health of the sailors on the Lincoln and their families.

Congresswoman Luna has been silent on this issue and more. Her absence from our district is making the cost of living crisis worse. Every week I speak with veterans and Social Security recipients who are having trouble accessing their benefits, and can’t get a call back from Congresswoman Luna’s office.

Instead of doing her job, Luna is out there making deals for herself. She invested half-a-million dollars in a Texas-based natural gas company owned by one of her donors. And hey, a piece of advice for Congresswoman Luna: if you are going to get a sweetheart deal from a donor, at least make sure the company is based in Florida!

Congresswoman Luna also continues to defend Congressman Max Miller, who has been accused of spousal and child abuse, and refuses to return the money she has gotten from him. It is crystal clear: she will not be a part of the solution to cleaning up Washington.

To tackle the cost of living crisis and culture of corruption, we need to start by electing people with a moral compass and actually holding politicians accountable.

We need to do a real stock-trading ban on officials in Washington—not the fake one proposed by Congresswoman Luna which only prevents buying stocks and excludes the president and vice president; we need to pass a lifetime ban on corporate lobbying for former Members of Congress; we need to implement term limits for Congress; and need to pass a law that holds Congress to the same ethical standards as our military.

My opponent has spent more than three years being part of the problem. Congresswoman Luna has represented us on Capitol Hill for 1,323 days. In that time, she has only passed one bill—one!

And during those 1,323 days, she has voted to cut one trillion dollars—yes one trillion—from our seniors, our veterans, our children, and middle-class families. She voted to slash Medicaid and healthcare subsidies, she supported DOGE cuts to the VA and Social Security, and she cheered on the illegal war in Iran that is making us less safe … and more poor. Time after time, she votes against us.

Floridians are hurting, and our leaders in Washington are not listening because they do not care. Everyday, I hear from our neighbors who are being squeezed financially and are terrified—terrified—of being able to make ends meet.

Last week I was out knocking doors and met a woman named Barbara, whose 42-year-old daughter recently moved back in with her because the cost of living has become too high. Barbara told me she has had to cut back. She cannot afford red meat anymore, which means she has had to stop the tradition of making her Sunday pot roast dinner for her family.

After I said goodbye to her, Barbara chased me down in 100 degree weather to say she wanted to help our campaign. She does not want to sit around feeling helpless anymore.

Barbara is like so many of our neighbors. They work hard their whole lives, do everything they were supposed to, but are forgotten by politicians in Washington who are more interested in getting on TV and enriching themselves.

So, to those of you who have voted for Congresswoman Luna or are hesitant to vote for a Democrat, I ask you this: Are you and your neighbors better off than you were two years ago? I represent a change from the past two years of extremism, ineffectiveness, and corruption… and I certainly represent a change from Anna Paulina Luna, whose self-serving approach to politics has no place in our district or this country.

And tonight, I cannot thank you all enough for your support in this campaign. As I close, I want to share with you all a quote I have been thinking about the past few days. It comes from President George H.W. Bush… my second Commander-in-Chief … and the last combat veteran to occupy the Oval Office. He once said, “The definition of a successful life must include serving others.”

That definition does not just include members of the military. It includes the police officer who races towards danger to help his neighbor, the teacher who stays after school to help her struggling student, and the small business owner who strains to make ends meet, but still finds a way to help those in need.

I live a life defined by “Service Over Self.” When I am in Congress, you can have no doubt, I will be there to serve you.

So, with 77 days before this Election… let me ask you: are you ready for this mission of “service over self?”

Are you ready to send a message to the corrupt politicians in Washington?

And are you ready to defeat Luna? I am, too… so, let’s get to work and win this thing! Thank you and God Bless America!

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