Jacob Ogles
Democrat Eric Lynn raised more than half a million dollars in the third quarter, raising more than $2 million in his run for an open seat in Florida’s 13th Congressional District.
Lynn, a former national security adviser in the Pentagon, expressed confidence the resources would help keep the seat — represented until recently by Democrat Charlie Crist — in the blue column.
“I am grateful for the continuous and growing support my campaign has received,” Lynn said. “This is a tough race — with the results impacting women’s freedom, the health of our planet, community safety, and economic security for middle-class families and veterans all across Pinellas and our campaign is proud to have the resources necessary to make sure FL-13 continues to be represented by independent commonsense leaders who will fight for our shared Pinellas values.”
Lynn faces Republican Anna Paulina Luna, who lost to Crist in 2020 but in a different district configuration. After a map signed by Gov. Ron DeSantis shifted the seat from one Democrat Joe Biden won by four percentage points to one Republican Donald Trump would have carried by seven points, Republicans head toward November with the edge.
But Lynn’s camp pointed toward polling that showed the Democrat leading with 45% to Luna’s 43%. Painting Luna as a Trump-like extremist, the Lynn campaign expressed confidence a centrist Democratic candidate could beat a far-right Republican. The campaign stressed Lynn had advised Secretaries of Defense from both parties. He served as a senior adviser to Democratic President Barack Obama but also under Republican Defense Secretaries Bob Gates and Chuck Hagel, as well as Democratic Defense Secretary Leon Panetta.
In contrast, the campaign pointed to positions taken by Luna during competitive Republican primaries and her open questioning of the 2020 presidential election results.
“With Anna Luna supporting a full abortion ban with no exceptions and continuing to spread the ‘Big Lie,’ we need a candidate who’s honest and trustworthy, and will fight for Pinellas values like protecting a women’s freedom to choose, protecting our environment, and tax cuts for middle-class families,” said Lynn Campaign Manager Andrew Bernucca. “Eric is that candidate, and can get the job done, delivering a victory for not just Pinellas but for Floridians and Americans nationwide.”
