33-Year-Old Veteran Retakes Congressional Seat from Dems: 'Today We Made History'
A 33-year-old Florida Air Force veteran has flipped one of the first seats in the midterm election.
Decision Desk HQ projected Republican Anna Paulina Luna as the victor in the campaign for Florida’s 13th Congressional District, defeating Democrat Eric Lynn.
Decision Desk HQ projects Anna Paulina Luna (R) wins election to the U.S. House in Florida’s 13th Congressional District.
D to R Flip.#DecisionMade: 7:56pm EST
Follow more results here: https://t.co/ogd3AkeoyM pic.twitter.com/G7SRbFcnDa
— Decision Desk HQ (@DecisionDeskHQ) November 9, 2022
Polls closed at 7 p.m. in Florida, with Luna projected as the winner of the battleground election less than an hour after the final vote was cast.
Luna thanked her supporters in a tweet recognizing her victory. The Republican pointed to her grassroots campaign as vital in defeating an opponent who far outspent her in the general election.
“Today we made history,” Luna tweeted.
“I look forward to serving you in DC!”
Knocked 50,000 doors
Made 89,000 phone calls
Outspent 2:1 in primary
Outspent 12:1 in general
Today we made history.
My name is Anna Paulina Luna and I am going to be the next representative for FL-13!
Thank you Pinellas! I look forward to serving you in DC!— Anna Paulina Luna (@VoteAPL) November 9, 2022
Luna secured a margin of victory of roughly 8.6 percent with 95 percent of the vote counted, a development that could display the nascent strength of the Republican Party in Florida.
Florida’s 13th district was formerly represented by Charlie Crist, a Democrat who resigned his office to focus on a gubernatorial campaign against Gov. Ron DeSantis.
Fox News called Florida’s gubernatorial election for DeSantis immediately as polls closed in the state, with Crist slated for a loss.
🚨 Fox calls Florida for R’s instantly at 8pm. DeSantis & Rubio. Final margins are going to be breathtaking.
— Guy Benson (@guypbenson) November 9, 2022
Luna’s win amounts to one of the first flips of the election. Republicans only need six seats to secure a majority in the House.
The Hispanic veteran and military wife will represent the Pinellas County district in Congress, including the cities of St. Petersburg and Clearwater.
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