Whitney Fox resigns from comms post at PSTA, will run for Congress in Anna Paulina Luna’s district

Image via Whitney Fox for Congress.

Whitney Fox has resigned her position as Director of Communications and Marketing for the Pinellas Suncoast Transit Authority (PSTA) and will run for Congress in Florida’s 13th Congressional District as a Democrat.

“As a mother of two young girls and through my work in public transportation, I see the struggles of the affordability crisis affecting so many families across Florida,” Fox said.

“Inflation in this district is two times the national average, housing and food prices are out of control and dangerous politicians like Anna Paulina Luna have left us behind in pursuit of an extreme agenda. Florida’s 13th Congressional district needs a leader committed to working together to get things done for our children, our families, and our communities.”

Luna won the district, which covers much of Pinellas County, in 2022 amid a red wave in Florida after the Legislature approved new congressional maps that shifted the voter registration advantage from favoring Democrats to favoring Republicans. She ran previously in 2020, losing to then-incumbent Democrat Charlie Crist, who did not seek re-election in 2022 and instead ran for Governor.

The district, drawn to exclude parts of south Pinellas County and include northern parts of the county, now leans red with nearly 199,000 Republican voters to just 151,573 Democrats.

Cook Political Report lists the district as a competitive race, but with a distinct advantage for Republicans at R+6 and likely Republican.

But Fox is looking for an opening in a district currently represented by a freshman member of Congress who has often stood with the more extreme conservatives on Capitol Hill, including Matt Gaetz.

“Right now, our government is at a standstill because of Anna Paulina Luna, who has used her position to cause chaos and confusion to raise her profile. I am proud to announce my candidacy to put an end to the disorder, grow the middle class, and protect a woman’s right to make her own healthcare decisions,” Fox said.

Two other Democrats have entered the race: John Liccione and Mark Weinkrantz.

Fox enters the race with some early endorsements, including from Largo City Commissioner Jamie Robinson and former St. Petersburg Mayor Rick Kriseman.

“For our Country to thrive and prosper, we must elect Representatives who are solutions driven, are willing to work across the aisle and put the Country before party. That’s why I’m supporting Whitney Fox for Florida’s 13th Congressional district,” Kriseman said.

“Whitney’s collaborative style has delivered for our community by improving our county’s public transportation system. She understands the need to invest in and rebuild our aging infrastructure, and she has shown she cares about making life better for everyone in our community, especially those most in need, like our veterans, seniors, and service workers. I am proud to endorse my friend Whitney Fox for Congress.”

In her leadership role at PSTA, Fox worked at the local, state and federal level to identify public transportation solutions, including securing funding for and building innovative programs such as the recently launched SunRunner Bus Rapid Transit service in St. Pete.

Under Fox’s and other PSTA leadership, the agency was named the most outstanding public transportation system in the nation for the three-year period covering 2020-2022.