dpRepresentative Anna Paulina Luna is preparing for a third campaign for Congress from a position of strength. The Florida Republican enters the 2026 midterm election with a Republican-leaning district and a sizable financial advantage.
According to Florida Politics, Luna ended June with more than $1.45 million in cash on hand after raising nearly $690,000 during the second quarter. Democrats will first choose their nominee in an Aug. 18 primary, where retired Army Brig. Gen. Leela Gray is considered the leading candidate ahead of John Liccione and Brandt Robinson. Gray reported about $750,000 in cash on hand at the end of the quarter.
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Luna has benefited from a district that has become more favorable to Republicans. After Florida’s congressional map was redrawn in 2022 under Gov. Ron DeSantis, Florida’s 13th Congressional District shifted to the right, helping Luna win the open seat that year.
“This district has been very badly gerrymandered,” said Rob Siberski, a retired government security professional who lives in Florida’s 13th Congressional District. Even so, he believes the seat could flip. “I think many independents have had enough of Anna Paulina Luna.”
Gray’s campaign did not respond to a request for comment on her position regarding US support for Ukraine. Siberski, who has spoken with Gray, said his impression was that she “strongly supports Ukraine and believes there’s an urgent need to continue supporting Ukraine in its war against Russia.”
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Luna has emerged as one of Congress’s most outspoken opponents of continued US military aid to Ukraine. She voted against this year’s Ukraine Support Act, has repeatedly advanced arguments that critics say echo Kremlin talking points, and earlier this year hosted Russian lawmakers in Washington. Her office did not respond to a request for comment around how her foreign policy engagements benefit her constituents.
Kirill Dmitriev, head of the Russian Direct Investment Fund, who is close to Vladimir Putin, greeted Luna with flowers and chocolates that featured quotes from Putin during his visit to the US in October.
US President Donald Trump’s treasury secretary, Scott Bessent, referred to Dmitriev as a “Russian propagandist” on CBS news.
In 2023, she was among those who co-sponsored the “Ukraine Fatigue Resolution” in the House calling on the US to “end its military and financial aid to Ukraine.”
Igor L. Markov, vice chair of the board of the American Coalition for Ukraine, said Luna is among a small group of House Republicans whose rhetoric mirrors narratives promoted by Moscow. “It is surprising and alarming that a small group of House members, including Anna Paulina Luna, echoed a framing that closely matches Kremlin narratives, such as alleged persecution of Christians in Ukraine,” he said.
“The congresswoman’s position is framed by her staff as being ‘consistently for peace with Russians,’” said fellow constituent Yuriy Tymoshenko. “She refused to meet with any members of the Ukrainian community for over four years, but she gladly joined a local Russian Heritage group that was hosting the St. Petersburg Winter Ball,” he said.
Before entering politics, Luna has said she worked as a cocktail waitress at a gentlemen’s club before becoming a swimsuit model. Since arriving in Congress, she has devoted significant attention to US-Russia relations and opposition to continued American support for Ukraine.
“Foreign policy does not appear to be a dominant issue in current district discourse,” Tymoshenko said.
Despite Luna’s focus on Russia, local concerns remain central to many voters. Affordability and the rising cost of living dominate conversations across the district, Siberski said. The district’s proximity to MacDill Air Force Base also means many residents have ties to the military and national security space.
“I think a lot of independents are very upset because she doesn’t seem to care much about what’s going on here locally,” said Garry Miracle, who lives in Florida’s 13th Congressional District. “She seems to focus on things that aren’t particularly relevant to us.”
Luna’s supporters reject that characterization, pointing to her work on beach renourishment, veterans’ issues and other district priorities as evidence that she has remained focused on the district’s needs.
Miracle, a Vietnam-era veteran, said his support for Ukraine reflects values he believes the United States has long defended. “We’ve always claimed that America stands up against dictators,” he said. “A lot of Republicans I’ve talked to say they think Putin is a bad guy, but they’re also willing to support whatever Trump wants to do.”
According to recent polling data, bi-partisan support for Ukraine has remained strong, as Miracle’s view mirrors that of most American voters, including Republicans.
Steven Moore, founder of the Ukraine Freedom Project and a former Republican congressional staffer, argued that Russia’s military support for Iran should be a greater concern for Republicans.
“Russia is sending weapons to Iran for use against US service members,” he said, adding that Luna has not publicly addressed the issue.
According to Tymoshenko, Luna’s legislative director told him the congresswoman believes past efforts at a US-Russia détente were deliberately undermined, citing the claim that “President John F. Kennedy was assassinated because he pursued peace with Russia.”
Still, Luna enters the race from a position of strength, with a fundraising advantage and a district that leans Republican. Whether those advantages outweigh frustration among some constituents, including independents, who believe she has devoted too much attention to foreign policy and not enough to local issues remains one of the central questions in Florida’s 13th Congressional District.
If she loses, Congress will lose one of its most outspoken opponents of continued US military support for Ukraine.
