A bunch of Republican and impartial elected officers in Pinellas County endorsed Democrat Eric Lynn over his Republican opponent for the Pinellas-based congressional seat, citing Lynn’s background in nationwide safety and his average values.
Lynn is working in opposition to Republican Anna Paulina Luna for Florida’s thirteenth Congressional District, which leans barely crimson. He’s targeted his marketing campaign on interesting to average voters, whereas Luna has leaned into the conservative base.
On Monday, 5 present and prior elected officers introduced their endorsement of Lynn, as did Beverly Young, a Republican and the widow of former U.S. Rep. Bill Young.
Beverly Young had beforehand endorsed Republican Amanda Makki over Luna within the major. Young mentioned the help of veterans is a major subject for her, together with protection industries in Pinellas County. She emphasised Lynn’s work as a nationwide safety advisor underneath a number of secretaries of protection and mentioned he’s a “man of integrity and extreme credibility.” Young mentioned she’ll be voting for Gov. Ron DeSantis and can nonetheless be voting for Lynn.
Bob Schmidt, the Republican mayor of Belleair Shore, additionally beforehand endorsed Makki however now endorses Lynn.
Republicans Jim Olliver, the vice mayor of the City of Seminole, and Redington Shores Commissioner Jennie Blackburn additionally introduced their endorsement of Lynn. Indian Shores Mayor Patrick Soranno, who’s registered with no social gathering affiliation, additionally endorsed Lynn on Monday.
Former Pinellas County Commissioner Susan Latvala, who served as a Republican however is now registered and not using a social gathering, additionally endorsed Lynn. This isn’t the primary time Latvala has endorsed a Democrat; she supported former St. Petersburg mayor Rick Kriseman in 2013.
In an announcement, Latvala mentioned Lynn’s prior expertise in Washington would enable him to hit the bottom working.
“Eric’s opponent has no meaningful experience to prepare her for this position,” Latvala’s assertion mentioned. “Only her very radical personal beliefs, which do not reflect the values of our community.”
Lynn earlier this yr launched an advert that included clips of Luna calling herself a “pro-life extremist” and saying she believed the 2020 election was stolen. On his Twitter account, he repeatedly refers to Luna’s “extremism” and has referred to as her “an active threat to our democracy.”
Luna, a U.S. Air Force veteran and conservative commentator, has been endorsed by former President Donald Trump and the political motion committee of the House Freedom Caucus. Her web site says she opposes “radical left-wing gender theory” in colleges and helps a safe border, American oil and fuel and decreasing taxes.
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During the news convention, Lynn criticized Luna for being against the PACT Act, a bill expanding medical benefits to veterans exposed to toxic burn pits. Luna, who mentioned her husband has been uncovered to burn pits, beforehand mentioned in an interview with Fox 13 that she believed the invoice included pointless spending.
“This is the difference between political insiders like Eric Lynn and me,” Luna mentioned in an announcement. “I actually read the bills, and I’m honest about them. I won’t play with our tax dollars or veterans’ lives.”
Lynn thanked his Republican supporters for standing with him as an alternative of the Republican on the poll.
Lynn, a nationwide safety adviser underneath former President Barack Obama, has mentioned he’s in help of gun reform, investing in public colleges and defending abortion entry for girls — positions which might be common with Democrats. But he additionally has supported concepts common amongst Republican voters, akin to investing cash in police and securing the U.S. border.
His marketing campaign has been knocking on the doorways of Republicans, not simply Democrats and nonpartisan voters.
In September, he introduced opposition to the hiring of 87,000 new IRS brokers as a part of the Democrat-led Inflation Reduction Act. The opposition of the IRS brokers has been a well-liked speaking level amongst Republicans, who concern that enforcement brokers will come for America’s center class.
Florida’s thirteenth District was beforehand held by U.S. Rep. Charlie Crist, who resigned from the seat to give attention to his run for governor. The once-a-decade redistricting course of made the seat lean in favor of Republicans by taking the boundary as much as north Pinellas and splitting St. Petersburg, a primarily Democratic metropolis, into two.
