Whitney Fox outraises Primary opponents, CD 13 incumbent Anna Paulina Luna

Did Whitney Fox make a huge misstep amid Helene prep? Image via Whitney Fox for Congress.

Whitney Fox has outraised her Democratic opponents in Florida’s 13th Congressional District to date, and has topped Republican incumbent Anna Paulina Luna for the second consecutive quarter.

Fox, the former Communications Director for the Pinellas Suncoast Transit Authority, has raised more than $420,000 since launching her campaign last year, including more than $218,000 in the first quarter of 2024, which spans January through March. Luna came just shy of Fox’s total, with more than $176,000 raised, according to financial reports filed with the Federal Election Commission.

Fox entered the race in the fourth quarter of 2023, which spans October through December, and outraised Luna then, too.

Fox has also outraised all of her Democratic opponents, though one candidate, Peter Owen, does not yet have Q1 financials available publicly. He raised just $110 in Q4.

Democrat Mark Weinkrantz is the closest, with more than $188,000 added to his campaign coffers to date, though just over $48,000 came from individual contributions, with Weinkrantz himself kicking in $140,000 of loans to his campaign.

Sabrina Bousbar, a progressive who would be the first Generation Z member in Congress if elected, trails with just under $127,000 raised, including nearly $6,600 from the candidate.

Liz Dahan, the newest entrance to the race, raised $116,000 in just two weeks, her campaign reported publicly earlier this month. FEC reports show a little over $119,000 raised as of the end of Q1, including more than $2,300 from the candidate.

Another Democrat in the race, John Liccione, has not yet hit six-figures, with just over $46,000 raised as of March 31, which includes more than $39,000 in candidate loans. He has just $4,550 left on hand, with nearly $80,000 in campaign debts still owed.

Tony D’Arrigo has not yet reported any fundraising activity. He entered the race in February.

While Fox has so far outraised her Primary opponents — the second quarter should show whether Dahan and Bousbar, who entered the race after Fox, can match her momentum — her focus remains on Luna.

“These fundraising numbers reflect a clear message from the voters,” Fox said.

“The enthusiasm around our campaign is a direct rebuke of the extreme and out-of-touch stances held by Luna, and shows that the people of Florida are ready for change. Our campaign is about tackling the real issues — like the rising cost of living, protecting Social Security and Medicare and fighting for women’s reproductive rights. Let’s rally together to unseat Luna this November.”

Fox, as well as the rest of the Democratic Primary field, hope that abortion rights will loom large in the General Election, and that Amendment 4, which would enshrine some abortion access into the state constitution, could drive voter turnout among women and others concerned about reproductive freedom.

But while Fox may be focusing her efforts on attacking Luna, not her Democratic opponents, she still has a Primary election in August to get through.

It’s worth noting, Fox has accumulated more than 30 endorsements, including U.S. Reps. Kathy Castor and Lois Frankel, as well as former U.S. Rep. and now-U.S. Senate candidate Debbie Mucarsel-Powell, state Rep. Lindsay Cross, several current and former local elected officials, and a handful of groups such as the National Women’s Political Caucus, the International Union of Operating Engineers, the American Federation of Government Employees, and others.

Other Democrats in the race are also finding support, though not at the same volume.

Three former Pinellas County Commissioners — Pat Gerard, Susan Latvala and Karen Seel (the latter two of which are Republicans) — have endorsed Weinkrantz, along with 10 other current and former elected officials or community leaders.

Bousbar has support from former state Rep. Joe Geller.

Both Bousbar and Dahan have resumes to run on. Bousbar served as a senior advisor in the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services for strategic preparedness and response under current President Joe Biden.

Dahan, who is from South Florida, has worked in communications for 20 years, focusing on business, government and foreign policy.

She most recently worked in Washington, D.C., as a partner at Brunswick, a global firm that provides advisory services on a variety of issues including financial, regulatory, political and social. There, Dahan worked with financial institutions, Fortune 500 companies and others to communicate social values and design sustainability and to chart a path toward environmental, social and governance (ESG) strategies.

Dahan also previously worked with former Secretary of State Madeleine Albright, the Council on Foreign Relations, the World Bank and with former U.S. Sen. Tom Daschle of South Dakota.

While Fox has outraised Luna for two consecutive fundraising cycles, she still has a funding challenge ahead. Luna has raised nearly $1.3 million overall, with more than $636,000 still on hand. Fox, meanwhile, has just over $278,000 on hand.

Weinkrantz follows with nearly $147,000 available, while Dahan has more than $112,000 and Bousbar more than $98,000.

Luna won CD 13 for Republicans in 2022 following redistricting, which shifted the district from a slight Democratic advantage to a GOP-leaning seat. Cook Political Report lists the district as likely Republican at R+6.