Copley Gerdes, Jennifer Webb endorse Eric Lynn in CD 13

Congressional candidate Eric Lynn has announced a slate of new endorsements from several former and current elected officials in Pinellas County.

The new endorsers include former state Rep. Jennifer Webb, St. Petersburg City Council member Copley Gerdes and Largo City Commissioner Jamie Robinson.

“Eric Lynn will represent the values of all the people of Pinellas in Congress, not a political base,” Webb said in a statement. “He knows how to listen, fight, and deliver. That’s the representation the people of FL-13 need in Washington.”

Gerdes, Robinson and Webb all reside in the new CD 13, in which Lynn is the only remaining Democratic candidate.

“Eric Lynn is exactly who the people of Pinellas County need in this critical moment,” Gerdes said in a statement. “He’s a hometown kid from the community who knows the results we need and has the proven ability to deliver on big change in Washington. He has my full support.”

This is the second round of endorsements Lynn has announced since becoming the presumptive Democratic nominee for Florida’s 13th Congressional District. Last week, Lynn announced backing from former U.S. Rep. Jim Davis, Pinellas County Commissioner Pat Gerard and Belleair Bluffs Commissioner Joe Barkley.

“The people of Pinellas County need someone who will listen to them, fight for them, and deliver for them,” Robinson said in a statement. “Eric Lynn has proven that he is that candidate as a native of Pinellas who can deliver change in Washington. I am proud to endorse him, and look forward to having him as our Congressman.”

Lynn is now the lone Democrat running in CD 13 after state Reps. Ben Diamond and Michele Rayner dropped their respective campaigns in mid-May. Democrats have held the CD 13 seat since 2016 when U.S. Rep. Charlie Crist defeated incumbent Republican Rep. David Jolly. Crist this year is running for Governor instead of for re-election.

“I want to thank Copley, Jamie, and Jennifer for their endorsement,” Lynn said in a statement. “These three know their communities — west St. Petersburg, Largo and the beaches — so well and I am honored to have them on our team and by their trust in my vision. Together, we will deliver the results the people of Pinellas County need.”

A new map just signed by Gov. Ron DeSantis substantially reconfigures Tampa Bay. While CD 13 remains contained within Pinellas County, Downtown St. Petersburg and many Democratic portions of the old district end up in Florida’s 14th Congressional District, represented by U.S. Rep. Kathy Castor, a Tampa Democrat.

The result for CD 13? The district goes from one where Democrat Joe Biden won the 2020 Presidential Election by 4 percentage points to a seat Republican Donald Trump won by 7 points.

Still, the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee (DCCC) stated this week they are ready to fight to keep the seat blue.

“Despite Gov. DeSantis’ blatant gerrymander, Democrats are prepared to keep this seat blue. While Florida Republicans offer nothing but extremism and divisiveness, Democrats have real solutions that will appeal to voters and put us on the path to victory in FL-13,” DCCC Spokesperson Nebeyatt Betre said previously.

Lynn has also earned endorsements from former Secretary of Defense Leon Panetta, Gulfport Deputy Mayor April Thanos, U.S. Reps. Jimmy Panetta and Eric Swalwell of California, and former U.S. Rep. Mel Levine of California.