Whitney Fox again outraises Primary field in bid to flip CD 13

Whitney Fox. Image via Fox campaign.

Whitney Fox has again outraised all of her challengers in the Democratic Primary for Florida’s 13th Congressional District, even when considering personal loans from opposing candidates to their respective campaigns.

Fox brought in $320,632 in total contributions during the second quarter of 2024, which covers campaign finance activity from April through June. Her total fundraising to date comes to nearly $743,000.

When excluding personal loans to their campaigns, Fox also outraised the entire field combined by more than $100,000. Fox did not loan her campaign any money.

She also ends the quarter with more cash on hand than her opponents, at $355,684. Her closest opponent in total cash on hand is John Liccione, who has $216,638 on hand, but that includes more than $233,000 in personal loans. He raised just $425 during the second quarter and less than $1,300 in outside money overall.

Liz Dahan follows with more than $127,000 on hand, but that also includes a $50,000 personal loan. She raised more than $127,000 in the second quarter, not including loans. Overall, Dahan has raised just under $247,000 for the race. When including her loan, her total receipts come to just under $297,000.

Following Dahan in cash on hand is Mark Weinkrantz, who has nearly $118,000 in the bank heading into the third quarter. That total has been buoyed by $200,000 in personal loans. Of his overall loans to the campaign, $60,000 came in the second quarter. Not including loans, Weinkrantz raised just over $19,000 this quarter and has raised more than $67,000 overall.

Trailing at the back of the pack in overall cash on hand is Sabrina Bousbar, with just over $65,000 on hand. That includes nearly $57,000 in total contributions in the second quarter, and more than $183,000 since jumping into the race. Bousbar has not loaned her campaign any cash.

Fox’s campaign is celebrating her fundraising success among Primary rivals, noting that more than two-thirds of her donors (67%) are from Florida and 57% are new donors, a figure they point to as evidence of fresh political engagement among voters.

She attributes the fundraising momentum to voters being disenchanted with incumbent Republican U.S. Rep. Anna Paulina Luna.

“The people of Pinellas County are tired of being ignored by extremist politicians who care more about grabbing headlines than helping hardworking families,” Fox said.

“Voters are ready for a representative who will show up and fight for them. While Anna Paulina Luna chases fame and pushes her self-serving agenda, I’ll be in the trenches, working to cut costs for families and protect our fundamental rights. This isn’t about partisan games — it’s about making life better for every person in Pinellas.”

But while Fox is leading her Primary opponents in fundraising, and has outraised Luna in previous fundraising periods, she’s still far behind the incumbent.

Luna has nearly $866,000 on hand as of the end of June, which includes nearly $505,000 in individual contributions in the second quarter and more than $181,000 in transfers from other authorized committees. That gives Luna a more than $500,000 advantage over Fox in a hypothetical General Election matchup, should Fox become the Democratic nominee.

But while Fox and other Democrats in the race have so far avoided any negative campaigning against one another, Fox maintains she is the best positioned Democrat in the race to take on Luna, not just because of her fundraising advantage but because of her robust support.

The former Pinellas Suncoast Transit Authority Communications Director has earned more than 55 endorsements from current and former state and local officials and various organizations.

That includes her most recent endorsement from former U.S. Rep. Stephanie Murphy who backed Fox as a “pragmatist” who “will reach across the aisle.” Earlier this month she also received support from U.S. Rep. Eric Swalwell of California.

Other notable nods include U.S. Reps. Kathy Castor, Lois Frankel and Debbie Wasserman Schultz, state Rep. Lindsay Cross, state Sen.-elect Carlos Guillermo Smith, three sitting St. Petersburg City Council members and a host of others.

The district now has a voter registration advantage for Republicans. Luna first won the seat in 2022 after redistricting shifted the boundaries to remove a slight Democratic advantage and replace it with a GOP advantage. Cook Political Report lists it as an R+6 district.

But while the outlet lists CD 13 as “likely Republican,” it is one of only three congressional races in Florida classified as competitive. The other two are listed as “likely Democrat” — Florida’s 9th Congressional District represented by Darren Soto and Florida’s 23rd Congressional District represented by Jared Moskowitz, both incumbent Democrats not facing Primary challenges.