The Blue Dog Coalition's Blue Dog PAC is backing Whitney Fox, the Democratic challenger to Rep. Anna Paulina Luna (R-FL) in Florida's 13th Congressional District.
The Blue Dogs are a group of moderate-to-centrist Democrats led by Reps. Mary Peltola (D-AK), Marie Glusenkamp Perez (D-WA), and Jared Golden (D-ME).
"Whitney Fox is the right person to represent Pinellas County in Congress and the best candidate to flip this seat," Rep. Mike Thompson (D-CA), chairman of the political action committee, said. "A mom of two toddlers who grew up in the Tampa Bay area, Whitney will always put Florida families first."
“Whether it’s lowering home insurance costs, fixing the affordability crisis, or protecting access to health care and reproductive freedoms, Whitney Fox will deliver results for Pinellas County, rather than chasing headlines or clout online. Whitney is focused on the place she’s from and will work hard for her community, and we’re proud to endorse her,” Thompson continued.
Fox is the former communications director for the Pinellas Suncoast Transit Authority, the public transit provider for Pinellas County. She's expected to put up a competitive race against Luna but is still a long shot to prevail in the Republican-leaning district. Decision Desk HQ gives Luna an 89% chance of winning reelection.
But Fox will still have to make it out of her Aug. 20 Democratic primary in which she will be pitted against several other Democrats who want to take Luna down in the district. Fox is the front runner, though, as she has the most financial support by over a 2-to-1 margin.
"Blue Dogs are committed to finding practical solutions and putting their districts first, and that’s exactly how I plan to serve in Congress," Fox said in the statement.
"We’re all tired of the extreme rhetoric that prioritizes headlines over real progress," Fox continued. "I'll work across the aisle to bring meaningful change to our community, focusing on what truly matters—protecting our freedoms, boosting our economy, and ensuring our children have a brighter future. Together, we will defeat Anna Paulina Luna and restore common sense to Washington, delivering real results for the people of Florida, not just empty promises."
According to the statement, FL-13 was named by the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee as one of its 33 "districts in play" in the 2024 election cycle.
Luna doubts she'll see significant competition. The congresswoman told the Washington Examiner that her Democratic opponents are "not serious."
"Last cycle, I was outspent 12-to-1," she said. "I told voters exactly who I was and have fulfilled every one of my campaign promises. You cannot buy Pinellas County, and my constituents know I will continue to fight for them in D.C. The DNC has attempted to recruit a few candidates against me as I am problematic for them regarding their identity politics indoctrination campaigns nationally."
"However, the six candidates running against me are not serious and should probably look into what Congress does. As of right now, many of them don't even understand the basics when it comes to legislation," she added.
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While the Blue Dog PAC is likely to give Fox a fundraising boost, it hasn't contributed to her yet, as of Federal Election Commission records available. She's received about $850,000 in contributions this cycle but only has about $119,000 cash on hand.
Luna has much more cash available, with about $2.3 million in contributions and around $917,000 cash on hand.
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