Anna Paulina Luna Holds Florida's 13th in Tight Race, Beating Leela Gray by Under 3,000 Votes

Republican Representative Anna Paulina Luna has won a third term in the United States House of Representatives, holding Florida's 13th Congressional District in one of the closest House races of the 2026 midterm elections. The Associated Press declared Luna the winner at 2:38 p.m. EST on Thursday, November 5, 2026, defeating Democrat Leela Gray by fewer than 3,000 votes with 99 percent of precincts reporting.

The result keeps a fiercely contested Gulf Coast seat in Republican hands and returns Luna, an Air Force veteran and a close ally of President Donald Trump, to Washington. It closes one of the most closely watched races in Florida, in which both parties poured money and attention into Pinellas County.

Key Points

• The Associated Press called Florida's 13th District for Anna Paulina Luna at 2:38 p.m. EST on Thursday, November 5, 2026.
• With 99 percent of precincts reporting, Luna had 154,351 votes (49.55 percent) to Leela Gray's 151,443 (48.61 percent), a margin of 2,908 votes.
• No-Party-Affiliation candidate Tony D'Arrigo took 5,722 votes (1.84 percent), more than the gap between the two leaders.
• Luna, an Air Force veteran and member of the House Freedom Caucus, wins a third term in Congress.
• Gray, a retired Army brigadier general and former strategic adviser to the United States Army Cyber Command, ran on affordability, health care and reproductive rights.

What Happened

The race was close throughout election night. Luna held a narrow lead as results came in from Pinellas County, and that lead never grew comfortable. The gap stayed under a single percentage point as precincts reported, and neither campaign could claim certainty until the Associated Press made its call on Thursday afternoon.

Luna declared victory after the call and thanked supporters for returning her to Washington. Final certified results are expected in the coming days, but the outcome is settled: Florida's 13th District stays Republican.

Background: The District and the Candidates

Florida's 13th Congressional District covers much of the Gulf Coast around St. Petersburg and Clearwater, in Pinellas County. It is a coastal, largely suburban district of beach communities, retirement areas and working neighbourhoods, and one of the most competitive seats in Florida in recent cycles.

Luna first won the seat in 2022 and was re-elected in 2024, so this victory gives her a third term. She is an Air Force veteran who has built a national profile as a close ally of President Donald Trump and as a member of the House Freedom Caucus, the conservative bloc that has often pushed Republican leadership from the right. Throughout the campaign, Luna highlighted her record in Congress and her support for conservative priorities.

Gray brought a very different background to the race. She is a retired Army brigadier general who served as a strategic adviser to the United States Army Cyber Command, and she is also an attorney. Her campaign focused on the cost of living, access to health care and protecting reproductive rights. The redistricting that followed the 2020 census had made the 13th more Republican on paper, yet the race came down to fewer than 3,000 votes, suggesting the district remains far more competitive in practice than its lines suggest.

Anna Paulina Luna's Third Term in Congress

A third term gives Luna more seniority and a stronger platform inside the House Republican conference. As a member of the Freedom Caucus, she has been part of the conservative bloc that has shaped debates over spending, oversight and the party's direction, and her re-election keeps one of the president's most loyal allies in place for the next two years.

Her return also matters because of the balance of power in Washington. Democrats won control of both chambers of Congress in the November 3 midterms, which means Luna will serve her third term in the minority, with Democrats setting the House agenda and controlling committees. In that setting, her role is likely to shift from advancing legislation to defending conservative positions and acting as a prominent voice for the president's supporters in the chamber.

Reactions

Gray ran on affordability, health care and reproductive rights, and closed to within a single percentage point in a district redrawn against her party. No concession statement was reported in the sources available at the time of publication, but her performance showed Democrats can compete seriously for the seat. The closeness of the result is itself the most important reaction: a district redrawn to favour Republicans produced a margin of under one point, and both parties will read that as evidence that Florida's 13th remains genuinely contested.

Why It Matters

The result matters first because it decides who speaks for one of Florida's most prominent coastal districts. Pinellas County, home to St. Petersburg and Clearwater, is a bellwether region in Florida politics, and a Republican hold there, even by fewer than 3,000 votes, keeps the seat out of Democratic hands for another two years. It matters second because of what the margin says about Florida: Democrats invested heavily and came within a point of winning a seat drawn to favour Republicans, which suggests the district will be a top Democratic target again in 2028.

It matters third because of the national picture. In a midterm cycle in which Democrats took control of both chambers of Congress, every Republican hold counted, and Luna's survival preserves one more seat for a party that will spend the next two years in the minority. Her re-election also keeps a prominent Trump ally and Freedom Caucus member in the House.

What Happens Next

Final certified results for Florida's 13th District are expected in the coming days, once the remaining ballots are counted. The Associated Press call leaves no realistic path for the result to change, but certification will make it official. Luna will be sworn in with the 120th Congress in January 2027, beginning her third term in a House controlled by Democrats.

Frequently Asked Questions

Who won Florida's 13th Congressional District?

Republican Representative Anna Paulina Luna won re-election, defeating Democrat Leela Gray. The Associated Press declared Luna the winner at 2:38 p.m. EST on Thursday, November 5, 2026.

What was the margin in the race?

Luna received 154,351 votes (49.55 percent) to Gray's 151,443 (48.61 percent), a margin of 2,908 votes with 99 percent of precincts reporting. Independent Tony D'Arrigo received 5,722 votes (1.84 percent).

Who is Leela Gray?

Gray is a retired Army brigadier general who served as a strategic adviser to the United States Army Cyber Command. She is also an attorney, and her campaign focused on affordability, health care and protecting reproductive rights.

What is Florida's 13th District?

It is a Gulf Coast district in Pinellas County, covering much of St. Petersburg and Clearwater. It was redrawn after the 2020 census to favour Republicans more than before, but it remains one of Florida's most competitive House seats.

What happens next?

Final certified results are expected in the coming days. Luna will be sworn in for her third term with the 120th Congress in January 2027, serving in a House controlled by Democrats after the 2026 midterms.

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