ICYMI: FL-13 Democratic Nominee Leela Gray on MS NOW With Ali Velshi

“People are stressed and they’re strained. They’re not looking at a party label. … They’re asking, ‘What are you doing for me?’” - Brig. Gen. (Ret.) Leela Gray

ST. PETERSBURG, FL – In case you missed it, retired Army Brigadier General Leela Gray joined Ali Velshi on MS NOW last night to discuss being added to the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee’s battleground Red to Blue list. You can watch the full interview here.

Gray made the case for why voters should fire Luna this fall:

“People are stressed and they're strained. They're not looking at a party label. … They're asking, ‘What are you doing for me?’” We're not better off today than we were two years ago. So, if you hired somebody two years ago, or even before that, and you're worse off today, shouldn't they be replaced and brought in with people that understand how to problem solve?

Gray recounted one of the “red to blue” stories she’s heard on the ground:

“I met Richard in person on Fourth of July, but he had already reached out to me when he heard I was running. And Richard is a retired Navy veteran, caring for his 91-year-old Navy veteran father. And he is a lifelong—lifelong—Republican. And he said, ‘Thank goodness you’re running in this race.’”

Gray talked about her life’s work of serving others and how that will translate to Congress:

“We need people that understand how to take care of others,  that already have lived a life of service. And I spent 30 years in the army. … My entire time in service was always about… service over self. And that's what I think is resonating with both the independents and Republicans, and of course the Democrats.”

Gray also criticized the current civilian leadership at the Department of Defense, specifically Secretary Hegseth’s purging of patriotic military officials:

“In my assessment, this downfall started when we started purging… our military. In fact, I knew two of the senior officers who were purged, stellar careers, patriots through and through, but were relieved for no reason—no reason.”