{"id":2325800,"date":"2024-08-16T19:15:02","date_gmt":"2024-08-16T23:15:02","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/blue-dog-pac-backing-democratic-challenger-to-rep-anna-paulina-luna-washington-examiner\/"},"modified":"2024-08-16T19:17:21","modified_gmt":"2024-08-16T23:17:21","slug":"blue-dog-pac-backing-democratic-challenger-to-rep-anna-paulina-luna-washington-examiner","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/blue-dog-pac-backing-democratic-challenger-to-rep-anna-paulina-luna-washington-examiner\/","title":{"rendered":"Blue Dog PAC backing Democratic challenger to Rep. Anna Paulina Luna &#8211; Washington Examiner"},"content":{"rendered":"<aside class=\"mashsb-container mashsb-main mashsb-stretched\"><div class=\"mashsb-box\"><div class=\"mashsb-count mash-medium\" style=\"float:left\"><div class=\"counts mashsbcount\">28<\/div><span class=\"mashsb-sharetext\">SHARES<\/span><\/div><div class=\"mashsb-buttons\"><a class=\"mashicon-facebook mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/sharer.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.conservativenewsdaily.net%2Fbreaking-news%2Fblue-dog-pac-backing-democratic-challenger-to-rep-anna-paulina-luna-washington-examiner%2F\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Facebook<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-twitter mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/intent\/tweet?text=&amp;url=https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/?p=2325800&amp;via=ConservNewsDly\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Twitter<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-subscribe mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"#\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Subscribe<\/span><\/a><div class=\"onoffswitch2 mash-medium mashsb-noshadow\" style=\"display:none\"><\/div><\/div>\n            <\/div>\n                <div style=\"clear:both\"><\/div><\/aside>\n            <!-- Share buttons by mashshare.net - Version: 4.0.47--><p>The Blue Dog Coalition&#8217;s <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/marriott-att-airbnbheres-the-list-of-corporations-announcing-they-wont-donate-to-gop-lawmakers-who-objected-to-electoral-votes-from-contested-states\/\" title=\"Marriott, AT&amp;T, Airbnb\u2026Here\u2019s The List Of Corporations Announcing They Won\u2019t Donate To GOP Lawmakers Who Objected To Electoral Votes From Contested States\">political action committee<\/a>, Blue \u2063Dog PAC, is endorsing Whitney Fox, a Democratic challenger, in \u200dher campaign against Republican Rep. Anna Paulina Luna in Florida&#8217;s 13th Congressional District. The Blue Dogs, comprising moderate to centrist Democrats led by Reps. Mary \u200bPeltola, Marie Glusenkamp \u200dPerez, and Jared Golden, believe Fox \u200bis well-equipped to\u2064 represent Pinellas County and \u200cis the best candidate to potentially flip the district. Rep. Mike Thompson praised Fox for her community focus and her commitment to critical issues like lowering \u2062home insurance costs and protecting healthcare access.<\/p>\n<p>Whitney\u2062 Fox, a former communications director for the Pinellas Suncoast Transit Authority, faces a competitive primary against other Democrats but holds a significant financial lead. Although she faces an uphill battle against the Republican incumbent\u2014who has \u200ba high reelection probability\u2014Fox is positioned as the front-runner in the primary. She emphasizes her commitment to <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/4-parent-groups-fighting-against-critical-race-theory-in-schools\/\" title=\"4 Parent Groups Fighting Against Critical Race Theory In Schools\">practical solutions<\/a> and bipartisan cooperation, aiming to challenge the extreme rhetoric in politics. The \u200dDemocratic Congressional Campaign Committee identifies her district as a\u200b key battleground\u2063 in the upcoming 2024\u2063 elections.  <\/p>\n<p class=\"readmore\">\n    <button onclick=\"showReadMore()\" id=\"readmorebtn\">Read more&#8230;<\/button>\n<\/p>\n<hr id=\"line\">\n<span id=\"more\"><\/p>\n<p><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><\/p>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><span class=\"tdb-mobile-menu-button\"><i class=\"tdb-mobile-menu-icon td-icon-mobile\"><\/i><\/span><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><span class=\"tdb-header-search-button-mob dropdown-toggle\" data-toggle=\"dropdown\"><i class=\"tdb-mobile-search-icon td-icon-search\"><\/i><\/span><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><span class=\"tdb-mobile-menu-button\"><i class=\"tdb-mobile-menu-icon td-icon-mobile\"><\/i><\/span><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\">\n<div class=\"tdb-drop-down-search\" aria-labelledby=\"td-header-search-button\">\n<div class=\"tdb-drop-down-search-inner\">\n<form method=\"get\" class=\"tdb-search-form\" action=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/\"><\/form>\n<div class=\"tdb-aj-search\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p><a href=\"http:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/#\" role=\"button\" aria-label=\"Search\" class=\"tdb-head-search-btn dropdown-toggle\" data-toggle=\"dropdown\"><i class=\"tdb-search-icon td-icon-search\"><\/i><\/a><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\">\n<h1 class=\"tdb-title-text\">Blue Dog PAC backing Democratic challenger to Rep. Anna Paulina Luna<\/h1>\n<div><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-title-line\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\">\n<div id=\"Brid_1730868\" class=\"tpd-featured-video bridtv\"><\/div>\n<p>The <a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/campaigns\/congressional\/3065573\/democrat-says-party-doesnt-respect-people-work-for-living\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title>Blue Dog<\/a> Coalition&rsquo;s Blue Dog PAC is backing Whitney Fox, the Democratic challenger to Rep. <a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/anna-paulina-luna\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title>Anna Paulina Luna<\/a> (R-FL) in <a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/florida\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title>Florida&rsquo;s<\/a> 13th Congressional District.<\/p>\n<p>The Blue Dogs are a group of moderate-to-centrist Democrats led by Reps. Mary Peltola (D-AK), Marie Glusenkamp Perez (D-WA), and Jared Golden (D-ME).<\/p>\n<p>&ldquo;Whitney Fox is the right person to represent Pinellas County in Congress and the best candidate to flip this seat,&rdquo; Rep. Mike Thompson (D-CA), chairman of the political action committee, said. &ldquo;A mom of two toddlers who grew up in the Tampa Bay area, Whitney will always put Florida families first.&rdquo;<\/p>\n<p>&ldquo;Whether it&rsquo;s lowering home insurance costs, fixing the affordability crisis, or protecting access to health care and reproductive freedoms, Whitney Fox will deliver results for Pinellas County, rather than chasing headlines or clout online. Whitney is focused on the place she&rsquo;s from and will work hard for her community, and we&rsquo;re proud to endorse her,&rdquo; Thompson continued.<\/p>\n<p>Fox is the former communications director for the Pinellas Suncoast Transit Authority, the public transit provider for Pinellas County. She&rsquo;s expected to put up a competitive race against Luna but is still a long shot to prevail in the Republican-leaning district. Decision Desk HQ gives Luna an 89% chance of winning reelection.<\/p>\n<p>But Fox will still have to make it out of her Aug. 20 Democratic primary in which she will be pitted against several other Democrats who want to take Luna down in the district. Fox is the front runner, though, as she has the most financial support by over a 2-to-1 margin.<\/p>\n<p>&ldquo;Blue Dogs are committed to finding practical solutions and putting their districts first, and that&rsquo;s exactly how I plan to serve in Congress,&rdquo; Fox said in the statement.<\/p>\n<p>&ldquo;We&rsquo;re all tired of the extreme rhetoric that prioritizes headlines over real progress,&rdquo; Fox continued. &ldquo;I&rsquo;ll work across the aisle to bring meaningful change to our community, focusing on what truly matters&mdash;protecting our freedoms, boosting our economy, and ensuring our children have a brighter future. Together, we will defeat Anna Paulina Luna and restore common sense to Washington, delivering real results for the people of Florida, not just empty promises.&rdquo;<\/p>\n<p>According to the statement, FL-13 was named by the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee as one of its 33 &ldquo;districts in play&rdquo; in the 2024 election cycle.<\/p>\n<p>Luna doubts she&rsquo;ll see significant competition. The congresswoman told the <em>Washington Examiner <\/em>that her Democratic opponents are &ldquo;not serious.&rdquo;<\/p>\n<p>&ldquo;Last cycle, I was outspent 12-to-1,&rdquo; she said. &ldquo;I told voters exactly who I was and have fulfilled every one of my campaign promises. You cannot buy Pinellas County, and my constituents know I will continue to fight for them in D.C. The DNC has attempted to recruit a few candidates against me as I am problematic for them regarding their <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/democrats-peg-anna-paulina-luna-as-vulnerable-incumbent-in-florida-after-poll\/\" title=\"Democrats target Anna Paulina Luna as vulnerable Florida incumbent following recent poll\">identity politics indoctrination campaigns nationally<\/a>.&rdquo;<\/p>\n<p>&ldquo;However, the six candidates running against me are not serious and should probably look into what Congress does. As of right now, many of them don&rsquo;t even understand the basics when it comes to legislation,&rdquo; she added.<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/\"><strong><\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n<p>While the Blue Dog PAC is likely to give Fox a fundraising boost, it hasn&rsquo;t contributed to her yet, as of Federal Election Commission records available. She&rsquo;s received about $850,000 in contributions this cycle but only has about $119,000 cash on hand.<\/p>\n<p>Luna has much more cash available, with about $2.3 million in contributions and around $917,000 cash on hand.<\/p>\n<p> <script data-cfasync=\"false\" src=\"http:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/cdn-cgi\/scripts\/5c5dd728\/cloudflare-static\/email-decode.min.js\"><\/script><script>!function(){var g=window;g.googletag=g.googletag||{},g.googletag.cmd=g.googletag.cmd||[],g.googletag.cmd.push(function(){g.googletag.pubads().setTargeting(\"has-featured-video\",\"true\")})}();<\/script><script>var _bp=_bp||[];_bp.push({\"div\":\"Brid_1730868\",\"obj\":{\"id\":\"27789\",\"width\":\"1280\",\"height\":\"720\",\"stickyDirection\":\"below\",\"video\":\"1730868\"}});<\/script><script defer src=\"https:\/\/services.brid.tv\/player\/build\/brid.min.js\"><\/script><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><\/div>\n<p><\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>The Blue Dog PAC, associated with the Blue Dog Coalition of moderate-to-centrist Democrats, is endorsing Whitney Fox as she challenges Rep. Anna Paulina Luna (R-FL) in Florida&#8217;s 13th Congressional District. The coalition is led by Representatives Mary Peltola (D-AK), Marie Glusenkamp Perez (D-WA), and Jared Golden (D-ME). Rep. Mike Thompson (D-CA), chair of the PAC, stated that Fox is well-suited to represent Pinellas County and has the potential to win this seat. He highlighted her background as a mother from the Tampa Bay area who prioritizes Florida families.<\/p>\n<p>Thompson emphasized that Fox aims to address key issues such as reducing home insurance costs, tackling affordability challenges, and safeguarding healthcare access and reproductive rights. He praised her commitment to her community over seeking attention online.<\/p>\n<p>Fox previously served as communications director for the Pinellas Suncoast Transit Authority and is expected to run a competitive campaign against Luna, although she faces an uphill battle in this Republican-leaning district where Decision Desk HQ gives Luna an 89% chance of reelection. Before facing Luna, Fox must first win her Democratic primary on August 20 against several other candidates; however, she currently leads in fundraising with more than double their support.<\/p>\n<p>In response to her endorsement by the Blue Dogs, Fox expressed her dedication to finding practical solutions for her constituents while rejecting extreme political rhetoric. She aims to work collaboratively across party lines for meaningful change focused on protecting freedoms and improving economic conditions for families.<\/p>\n<p>The Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee has identified FL-13 as one of its targeted districts for the upcoming election cycle. Meanwhile, Rep. Luna remains skeptical about facing serious competition from Democrats; she noted that previous opponents were significantly outspent last cycle but claimed success in fulfilling campaign promises despite financial disparities.<\/p>\n<p>As it stands now, while Blue Dog PAC may enhance Fox&#8217;s fundraising efforts moving forward\u2014having not yet contributed according to available Federal Election Commission records\u2014she has raised approximately $850,000 this election cycle but only holds around $119,000 cash on hand compared to Luna\u2019s $2.3 million raised and roughly $917,000 available cash<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":2325801,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_mo_disable_npp":"","fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/08\/Luna-congress.webp","fifu_image_alt":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[],"tags":[38370,38369,36772,32603,32076],"class_list":["post-2325800","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","tag-anna-paulina-luna","tag-blue-dog-pac","tag-democratic-challenger","tag-political-news","tag-washington-examiner"],"fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/08\/Luna-congress.webp","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2325800","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2325800"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2325800\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2325801"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2325800"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2325800"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2325800"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}