U.S. House · Florida's 13th District
Leela Gray
CandidateD
- Race
- U.S. House · Florida's 13th District
- Result
- Anna Paulina Luna, projected winner
- Opponents
- Anna Paulina Luna (R); Tony D'Arrigo (IND)
- Research
- Basic
Party linenone
No recorded floor votes — not a current legislator in our records.
Said vs. did2 statements · 0 votes
I am running to put an end to the tariff taxes raising the cost of groceries, building materials and everyday goods
Broad tariffs on imported goods
Compare statements with votes ›On the ballotU.S. House · 13
2026-11-03
| Anna Paulina Luna R | incumbent |
| Leela Gray D | challenger |
| Tony D'Arrigo IND | challenger |
Said vs. did
Each documented position next to the recorded floor votes we map to the same issue. Votes are compared one at a time; no overall stance is inferred from them.
I am running to put an end to the tariff taxes raising the cost of groceries, building materials and everyday goods
Says on her campaign site that she is running to end the tariffs.[4]
No recorded floor vote in our key-vote set maps to this issue.
I will fight for a tax code that asks the wealthiest to pay their fair share
Says she will fight for a tax code that asks the wealthiest to pay more.[4]
No recorded floor vote in our key-vote set maps to this issue.
Biography
Leela Gray, a Democratic candidate and retired U.S. Army Brigadier General, lost the November 3, 2026 election for Florida's 13th Congressional District to Anna Paulina Luna. She served in the U.S. Army for 30 years and is also a lawyer.[1][2][3]
Basic profile — the most important sourced facts we found.
Gray says her family relied on food stamps while she was growing up and that she worked two jobs to pay for college.[2] She earned a bachelor's degree from Elon University, a graduate degree from the U.S. Army War College, and a law degree from the Stetson University College of Law.[2] She served in the U.S. Army from 1988 to 2018, rising to the rank of Brigadier General.[2]
According to an EMILYs List endorsement release, Gray's Army career included commanding troops, a peacekeeping mission, and two combat deployments. After active duty she worked at the State Department as a strategic advisor to U.S. Army Cyber Command.[5] The same release describes her as a longtime Tampa Bay resident who has mentored entrepreneurs and advocated for veterans.[5] Gray defeated Brandt Robinson and John Liccione in the August 18, 2026 Democratic primary for Florida's 13th District, winning 65.1% of the vote.[2][3] During the campaign, she said she was running on affordability, government ethics, and support for veterans and seniors.[2][3] She received 48.7% of the vote to Anna Paulina Luna's 49.5%, according to unofficial results reported by NBC News.[1]
In their own words
Priorities
- Affordability: says she would crack down on corporations and insurance monopolies driving up costs, expand affordable housing, make healthcare more competitive and transparent, and provide tax relief to middle-class families and small businesses rather than "the ultra-wealthy and big corporations."[6]
- Government ethics: says she would push to ban insider stock trading by members of Congress, enact term limits, and impose a lifetime lobbying ban on former members.[6]
- Veterans and seniors: says she would cut red tape at the VA and work to protect and strengthen Social Security and Medicare.[6]
Statements, quoted without a stance
- Expand public health coverage
“We must restore the ACA tax credits Luna allowed to expire, cap out-of-pocket costs for essential medications, protect Medicare's power to negotiate lower prices”[4]
On her campaign website, Cutting Costs Agenda
- Universal, publicly funded child care
“We also must commit to making childcare affordable and homeownership attainable, ensuring the next generation has better opportunities.”[7]
On her campaign website, Growing Economic Opportunities
- Faster transition away from fossil fuels
“We need to permanently ban offshore drilling and protect all our homes, businesses, and coastal economy.”[8]
On her campaign website
Campaign money$1.2M raised · 94% from individuals · FEC through 2026-07-29
Totals this cycle
Bars share one scale (raised = full). Cash on hand can include money carried over from earlier cycles.
Who gave
- Individuals $1.1M
- PACs & committees $71K
- Own money & loans $7,000
Largest committee contributions
- Crosspartisan PAC I PAC$10K
- Emilys List PAC$10K
- Votevets PAC$5,000
- Elect Democratic Women PAC$5,000
- Ameripac: the Fund for a Greater America PAC$5,000
- Machinists Non Partisan Political League of the International Association of Machinists & Aerospace Workers PAC$5,000
- Jobs, Education, & Families First Jeff PAC PAC$5,000
- Moms Fed Up PAC$5,000
- Innovation for Good PAC PAC$5,000
- Blue Dog Political Action Committee PAC$5,000
Direct contributions only; outside spending is not included. Individual donors are itemized in the FEC’s receipts. All itemized receipts ↗ FEC filing ↗
Profile: /people/leela-gray
Compare all 3 candidates side by side ›
Sources cited in this profile
- 1.U.S. House · Florida's 13th District results 2026 · NBC News News report
- 2.Leela Gray · Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey Candidate's own words
- 3.Florida's 13th Congressional District election, 2026 · Ballotpedia Reference
- 4.Cutting Costs Agenda · Leela Gray for Congress campaign website Candidate's own words
- 5.EMILYs List Endorses Retired Brigadier General Leela Gray for Florida's 13th Congressional District · EMILYs List Reference
- 6.Leela Gray · Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey Candidate's own words
- 7.Growing Economic Opportunities · Leela Gray for Congress campaign website Candidate's own words
- 8.Protecting our Beaches, Land, and Coastal Economy · Leela Gray for Congress campaign website Candidate's own words