Eric Lynn lands CD 13 endorsements from Eric Swalwell, Jimmy Panetta

Congressional candidate Eric Lynn landed endorsements Tuesday from two California Congressmen.

Democratic U.S. Reps. Eric Swalwell and Jimmy Panetta both offered their support to Lynn, who is running for an open seat in Florida’s 13^th Congressional District.

“With years of national security experience at the federal and international level, Eric has a first-hand understanding of how to navigate the challenges of lawmaking,” Panetta said. “He is our best hope to keep Florida’s 13th district blue in 2022, and I would be glad to call Eric a colleague.”

Lynn worked as a national security adviser under former President Barack Obama. Notably, Panetta’s father, Leon Panetta, served for a period as Obama’s Defense Secretary.

Swalwell, who launched a 2020 run for President with a gun control town hall in Florida, also offered strong praise.

“In this critical moment, with attacks on the very foundation of our democracy, it’s imperative that Democrats hold the majority in the House,” Swalwell said. “Eric is the most qualified candidate to both win this race and help get our country back on track. I’m proud to back Eric Lynn for Congress.”

Lynn’s connections on the hill have helped rack up support from sitting and former members of Congress. Earlier this week, U.S. Reps. Robert Wexler and Peter Deutsch, who both previously represented South Florida districts, also endorsed Lynn.

The support could be important both in a heated Primary and a competitive General Election. Lynn is running to succeed U.S. Rep. Charlie Crist, a St. Petersburg Democrat running for Governor. CD 13 bears distinction now as the most closely divided district in Florida. While the district will be redrawn by the Florida Legislature this year, drafts show it will most likely remain a competitive seat.

Lynn faces state Reps. Ben Diamond and Michele Rayner-Goolsby in the Democratic Primary. Meanwhile, Air Force veteran Anna Paulina Luna, former U.S. Senate adviser Amanda Makki and nonprofit leader Audrey Henson face each other on the Republican side.