Kelly Hayes
Several local leaders have come out in support of congressional candidate Eric Lynn, who is hoping to take the Democratic nomination in the Florida’s 13th Congressional District contest.
The elected officials who’ve endorsed Lynn include Belleair Beach Council member Dr. Robyn Ache, North Redington Beach Commissioner Gary Curtis and former Indian Rocks Beach Commissioner Jim Labadie.
“I’m proud to endorse Eric Lynn for Congress because he has proven he can deliver results in Washington, and now he’s ready to deliver for the people of Pinellas County,” Ache said in a statement. “As a local doctor, I know Eric is exactly who we need to improve health care for patients, doctors, and nurses all throughout the district and the country.”
“As a small business owner here in Indian Rocks Beach, I know Eric is the best candidate to deliver impactful results for the people of Pinellas County,” Labadie added in a statement. “Eric’s gotten big things done in Washington before, and now he’s ready to do that for the people of this district. I’m proud to endorse his candidacy.”
The new endorsements come after a Global Strategy Group poll showed Lynn leads his Democratic opponents in name recognition and favorability. The former national security adviser under President Barack Obama was familiar to 35% of respondents and favored by 30%. State Rep. Ben Diamond was familiar to 28% and favorable to 25%. State Rep. Michele Rayner, meanwhile, was familiar to 29% of respondents and favored by 24%.
The poll of 458 likely Democratic Primary voters was paid for by Lynn’s campaign and conducted from Dec. 20-21, but did not ask respondents which candidate they would vote for. According to the latest voter registration data from the Pinellas County Supervisor of Elections, there are nearly 191,000 registered Democrats in CD 13. The poll’s margin of error was 4.6 percentage points.
“I am grateful to earn the endorsement of Council Member Dr. Robyn Ache, Commissioner Gary Curtis, and former Commissioner Jim Labadie,” Lynn said in a statement. “These local officials see every day the need to improve access to health care, provide greater support for our veterans, and support small businesses. They know that the results we need on these issues require a leader who is prepared to deliver for the people of Pinellas County on day one. I am honored by Robyn, Gary, and Jim’s support and trust in my vision.”
Florida’s CD 13 race will be one of the most closely watched in the 2022 midterms. U.S. Rep. Charlie Crist is leaving a seat previously long held by Republicans. The race could help shift the balance of power in Washington.
The winner of the Democratic Primary will face off against either Air Force veteran Anna Paulina Luna, former Lisa Murkowski adviser Amanda Makki, nonprofit founder Audrey Henson, former prosecutor Kevin Hayslett or Christine Quinn.
Makki lost the Republican Primary to Luna in 2020. Crist then beat Luna in the General Election with 53% of the vote.
Democrats have a voter registration advantage of 20,000 over Republicans in the district. But Republican presence has been growing since the GOP lost the seat to Crist.
One comment
Vincent Portulano
February 18, 2022 at 8:55 am
Is this website considered non-biased or neutral?
Comments are closed.