Light on cash, Sabrina Bousbar touts ground game in CD 13 Democratic battle

Image via Sabrina Bousbar

With less than one month until the Primary Election, Democrat Sabrina Bousbar trails the crowded field for Florida’s 13th Congressional District in cash on hand, but the young candidate says she’s building an unmatched field program.

Bousbar, who would be the first woman from Generation Z elected to Congress if successful in her bid, said in a press release that she has made more than 90,000 voter contacts through door-knocking, phone calls and texts, with more than 200 active campaign volunteers and 20 campaign fellows.

“Our team is building a robust, unparalleled field program to reach voters in every corner of the district and communicate Sabrina’s future-focused message for our communities,” said Bousbar campaign advisor Adrienne Bogen.

“Democrats are energized and understand the importance of nominating not just another warm body, but a candidate with the profile and ability to mobilize the diverse coalition it will take to defeat Anna Paulina Luna in November. Sabrina’s the only candidate in this race who can uniquely do that and win.”

Bousbar served as a senior advisor in the U.S. Department of Health & Human Services’ Administration for Strategic Preparedness and Response (ASPR) in President Joe Biden’s administration.

She’s running in a crowded field of Democrats in the race for their party’s nomination to take on incumbent Republican U.S. Rep. Luna. Of the five Democrats in the race, Bousbar is dead last in cash on hand for her race, though, as of the most recent campaign reports covering activity through June.

Leading the pack is Whitney Fox, a former Communications Director for the Pinellas Suncoast Transit Authority.

Fox’s campaign did not immediately respond to an inquiry about its field operations, but the campaign has a lot of momentum. In addition to leading fundraising — Fox has raised nearly three quarters of a million dollars and has nearly $366,000 on hand, more than $100,000 more than her next closest fundraising competition. And, not including loans to their campaigns, Fox has outraised the entire field by more than $100,000.

Cash isn’t everything, but Fox also last week earned a coveted recommendation from the Tampa Bay Times, which described her as “a natural on the campaign trail” who “appears to have the personal fortitude to hold up under what will likely be a withering General Election campaign.”

While the editorial board ultimately recommended Fox, they also praised another CD 13 competitor, Liz Dahan, as an “impressive first-time candidate” who has “a good command of the issues and the kind of life experience that would serve her well if elected to Congress.”

The board didn’t offer direct praise for Bousbar, but highlighted her work in the U.S. Department of Health & Human Services’ Administration for Strategic Preparedness and Response, as well as her academic achievements, with an undergraduate degree from Florida State University and a master’s degree from Georgetown University.

Also running are John Liccione and Mark Weinkrantz, both of whom are largely self-funding their campaigns.

While Bousbar’s momentum outside of a grassroots field game may be trailing compared to Fox, she’s still running a professional campaign worthy of paying attention to. Earlier this month, Bousbar launched a new ad on streaming and digital platforms touting her work with the Biden administration and labeling Luan an “extremist.”

“No one is more prepared than Sabrina Bousbar,” the ad’s narrator states in the 30-second spot. “That’s why President Biden called Sabrina the ‘lifeblood of our democracy,’ trusting her to be on the frontlines of pandemic response and helping Americans recover from natural disasters.”

Bousbar’s campaign has also been sending texts to Democrats seeking support. One such text, sent Friday, ties Bousbar to the Biden administration, saying she “is the only Democrat trusted by President Biden and Vice President (Kamala) Harris to serve the American people.”

The text encourages recipients to return their mail ballots “to elect Democrat Sabrina Bousbar for Congress. While the text did not say that Biden or Harris had done so, it’s worth noting that neither have directly endorsed Bousbar.

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 are incumbent Democrats not facing Primary challenges.