Republican U.S. Rep. Anna Paulina Luna retained her House District 13 seat in a highly watched race against Democratic newcomer Whitney Fox.
With 99 percent of the precincts reporting, Luna had 55% of the vote to Fox's 45%.
Luna took the stage at the Pinellas GOP watch party at the St. Petersburg Marriott Clearwater soon after the race was called.
“Thank you for trusting me to do the right thing,” Luna told the crowded ballroom.
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Speaking with reporters afterward, Luna said her first priority for her second term would be securing the southern U.S. border.
She has spoken out against illegal immigration and her campaign states she “will fight to finish the border wall, end DACA, restore President (Donald) Trump’s Remain in Mexico policy and crack down on criminal illegals in America.”
Trump defeated Vice President Kamala Harris on Tuesday to earn a second term as president. Republicans are also projected to regain control of the Senate. Control of the House was still undecided.
Democrats were hoping that flipping the District 13 seat could help them take back the House. The race was the only one in Florida that the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee put in its “Red to Blue” program.
Fox, who ran as a moderate in the Republican-leaning district, formerly served as the communications director for the Pinellas Suncoast Transit Authority.
Before Luna took the seat in 2022, District 13 was represented by Democrat Charlie Crist, who resigned for a failed run for governor.
The Republican-led Legislature redrew the district in the GOP’s favor in 2022. The new map carved away more Democratic areas in St. Petersburg and added those to the district represented by Tampa Democrat Kathy Castor. The district includes much of Pinellas County to the west of U.S. 19 and Interstate 275.
Castor easily won her bid for reelection in District 14. She beat Republican Robert "Rocky" Rochford, a retired U.S. Navy captain. Castor has represented that district since 2006.
Pinellas County residents also voted to increase a school tax that has been in place since 2004. With 98% of precincts reporting, voters approved the referendum by a margin of 68% to 32%. The increase will bring the rate from 0.5 to 1 mill, which means property owners will pay $1 for every $1,000 of assessed value.
Click here for Pinellas election results
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School referendum
Yes — 68%
No — 32%
State Senate
District 21
Hooper, Ed (REP) * Incumbent - 61.82%
Carroll, Doris H. (DEM) - 38.18%
State House
District 57
Anderson, Adam C. (REP) * Incumbent - 58.83%
Johnson, Kelly Lynn (DEM) - 38.62%
Larrivee, Robert "Bob" Arthur (NPA) - 2.55%
District 58
Berfield, Kimberly "Kim" (REP) * Incumbent - 57.66%
Beckman, Bryan (DEM) - 42.34%
District 59
Jacques, Berny (REP) * Incumbent - 58.68%
Douglas, Dawn (DEM) - 41.32%
District 60
Cross, Lindsay (DEM) * Incumbent - 46.36%
Montanari, Ed (REP) - 53.64%
District 61
Chaney, Linda (REP) * Incumbent - 56.24%
Bruemmer, Nathan (DEM) - 43.76%
District 62
Rayner, Michele K. (DEM) * Incumbent - 31.34%
Amador, Nelson (REP) - 68.66%
