PINELLAS COUNTY, Fla. (WFLA) — Anna Paulina Luna (R) is projected to win reelection, defeating Whitney Fox (D) to represent Florida’s 13th Congressional District in the U.S. House of Representatives, according to the Associated Press.

AP declared Anna Paulina Luna the winner at 7:46 p.m. EST.

The 13th Congressional District is assigned to Pinellas County and includes St. Petersburg, Largo, Clearwater, and Palm Harbor.

Anna Paulina Luna (R)

Congresswoman Paulina Luna went for her second term in Congress, as she currently is serving her first term, representing the 13th Congressional District. The Republican is the first Mexican-American woman elected to Congress to represent the Sunshine State.

This race was initially projected to be close, but Luna ended up winning by a larger margin than she did in 2022.

“We out-performed the polls and I say never underestimate the power of grassroots campaigning,” said Rep. Luna. “We do have one of the biggest grassroots campaigns, not just in the state of Florida, but also in the country. So we did over 110,000 phone calls, over 60,000 doors. I think I actually did better this cycle than I did last one.”

“Luna, a first-term congresswoman and Freedom Caucus member, has been a staunch supporter of former President Donald Trump, who carried this Gulf Coast district in 2020,” the Associated Press said on Tuesday.

According to her website, Paulina Luna said she will advocate for veterans, preserve the natural environment beaches, and coastlines of Pinellas County, and fight for education and government accountability while fighting against illegal immigration.

“Anna believes that the ‘business as usual’ mentality in Washington has ruined the lives of everyday Americans, who are failed by decades of leaders who do not truly value them for anything more than their votes,” her site said.

She shared her plans for her next term in Congress.

“We have introduced legislation that will cut taxes on tips, cut taxes on Social Security, cut taxes on overtime. We have also introduced legislation to cap student loans at 3% and more importantly, I am trying to remove toxic chemicals from our products as well as make sure that the American people, especially those that might not be able to afford some of the more expensive organic foods, are actually being given things that aren’t harming them. We will absolutely be joining the ‘Make America Healthy’ movement. You guys will have to stay tuned for more of what we are going to do,” said Rep. Luna.

Luna was endorsed by former President Donald Trump.

Whitney Fox (D)

Meanwhile, Tampa Bay native Whitney Fox faced off with Paulina Luna for the spot to represent the 13th Congressional District.

According to Fox’s website, the Democrat said she will fight to protect women’s reproductive healthcare and freedoms. She also promises to fight price-gouging, promote affordable housing, protect Social Security and Medicare from cuts, and combat homeowner’s insurance rates.

Fox grew emotional when talking about her two daughters, and thanking her supporters.

“Well you know part of the reason why I decided to run is because my daughters growing up with fewer rights than I did,” said Fox. “I felt like I had to stand up and do something about it. When push comes to shove in a few years when they ask me what I did in this moment, I wanted to be able to tell them I did everything I possibly could, and we did. I think there was a lot at stake in this election and I’m concerned about their futures and so we wanted to put everything we had into it and we did.”

Fox was endorsed by several individuals including Congresswoman Kathy Castor, Senate candidate Debbie Mucarsel-Powel, and Hillsborough County Commissioner Pat Kemp, among others.

Fox said she would be willing to have conversations with Luna on ways to work together to make sure everyone in Pinellas County is represented.