Secretary Pete Buttigieg Backs Leela Gray to Unseat Anna Paulina Luna in Florida's 13th District

Former U.S. Secretary of Transportation and Navy Veteran Says FL-13 Deserves Gray’s Proven Leadership and Judgement

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

DATE: July 8th, 2026

St. Petersburg, FL — Today, retired Brigadier General and Democratic congressional candidate Leela Gray earned the endorsement of former U.S. Transportation Secretary and Navy veteran Pete Buttigieg, a national leader whose support signals growing momentum behind Gray's campaign to flip Florida's 13th Congressional District.

“Growing up on food stamps, working two jobs to put herself through college, and serving for more than thirty years in the U.S. Army, Leela Gray knows how to work hard. She also knows that high prices have made it so that hard work is not always enough,” said Pete. “Leela is focused on addressing the issues and costs that shape our everyday lives: housing, healthcare, insurance, food, fuel, and grocery prices. If we are going to fix our broken political system, we are going to need people in Congress like Leela who put service over self. That is why I’m proud to support her campaign.”

"Secretary Buttigieg has spent his career proving that real public service means delivering for people, not performing for cameras," said Gray. "From South Bend to Washington, he has shown what it looks like to take on hard problems and see them through. I am honored to have his endorsement and his trust, and I will bring that same standard of accountability to the families of Pinellas and Pasco County every single day."

Buttigieg joins a growing coalition of leaders and organizations that have recognized Gray as the battle-tested leader Florida needs in Congress. The list includes Senator Mark Kelly, the Florida AFL-CIO, Congresswoman Kathy Castor (FL-14), Congresswoman Lois Frankel (FL-22), 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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