Whitney Fox (R) and supporters at St Pete Pride 2024. (Photo courtesy Whitney Fox’s campaign.)
ST. PETERSBURG | Whitney Fox is one of five Democrats running in Florida’s Aug. 20 primary to represent Congressional District 13, a Tampa Bay seat currently held by Republican Anna Paulina Luna.
Like her Democratic opponents, Fox promises to advocate for LGBTQ+ Floridians. Her website describes her as “a mother who will fight to improve the quality of life for Florida’s 13th district and the American people.”
The Tampa Bay native previously served as the communications director for the Pinellas Suncoast Transit Authority, spearheading its signature SunRunner Bus Rapid Transit system and other inclusive initiatives. Her campaign says her background in public policy has helped her understand “a thriving community creates a thriving economy,” which “requires freedom and equality for all.”
“I’ve been working for the community throughout my career, trying to do what I can to better people’s day-to-day lives,” Fox tells Watermark. “I’ve been working closely with our community and our local elected leaders to truly understand a lot of the issues that our community faces.”
It was becoming a mother that “lit a fire in me to run for office,” she adds. The candidate cites “the lack of paid parental leave, the lack of affordable childcare” and concerns over mental health, substance abuse, incarceration, homeowners’ insurance rates and more as additional motivators.
“I’ve felt very strongly about those issues, but also the fact that now I have two little girls who are growing up with fewer rights than I did — whether that’s their reproductive freedoms or the right to love who they want to love and be who they want to be,” she explains. “I felt like I had to stand up and do something about it.”
Fox launched her campaign last October and has regularly worked to connect with LGBTQ+ and ally voters ever since. This year’s St Pete Pride in June marked her sixth time participating:
“St Pete Pride is one of my favorite weekends and it was quite an experience walking as a candidate for Congress,” she reflects. “Every time I’m at St Pete Pride I’m enjoying the celebration, but this time as I was shaking hands and people were giving me hugs, I heard multiple times people saying, ‘thank you for being here.’ They were just so grateful to feel seen and heard — and it’s such a small ask to be recognized.”
Fox says she’s acutely aware of “the attacks on the LGBTQ+ community in Florida” in recent years and vows to stand up against them if elected, both at home and in D.C.
“We need to make sure people know that this is not Florida,” she stresses. “This is not the Florida I know and this is not who we are. I feel very strongly that this November that we are going to show people what Florida really stands for.”
In addition to receiving support from allies like U.S. Rep. Kathy Castor and former St. Petersburg Mayor Rick Kriseman, LGBTQ+ elected officials have also endorsed Fox. Local supporters include Largo Commissioner Michael Smith and state Rep. Michele Rayner.
According to Federal Election Commission, Fox may also be the best poised to challenge Luna financially. In addition to regularly outraised the incumbent, Fox has also outraised her primary opponents — the campaign noted July 16 that she outraised all of them combined in the second quarter of 2024.
“This isn’t just fundraising — it’s a movement for real change in Pinellas,” Fox shared via social media. “While Luna chases headlines, we’re fighting for you.”
Fox tells Watermark that Luna will not fight for LGBTQ+ Floridians. The representative has a record of making derogatory comments about the community, including toward openly gay U.S. Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg, and has reposted content from anti-LGBTQ+ social media accounts like Libs of TikTok.
In one 2023 post, Luna likened banned books, including those referencing gender identity and sexual orientation, to being “pro-pedophilia” and “pornographic” with a “sexualized agenda.” She has also mocked pronoun usage during congressional hearings.
“She is so extreme on these issues and I know very strongly that that those are not the values of Pinellas County,” Fox notes. “Those are not the values of this district and people are eager to get her out of office.
“When these extremists try to silence our voices, we’re just going to speak louder this November — and when they try to divide us, we’re going to come together stronger,” she continues. “I think that their fear mongering and hatred have no place in our state or in our future.”
Florida’s primary election is Aug. 20 and early voting is Aug. 10-17. Check your voter registration and more at Vote.org.
Anna Paulina Luna did not respond to Watermark’s requests for comment. Learn more about Whitney Fox at WhitneyFoxForCongress.com and hear from each of the Democrats candidates hoping to challenge Luna this November in the next issue of Watermark.
