Luna wins Florida district, edging GOP closer to House majority

Republican Anna Paulina Luna defeated Democrat Eric Lynn in Florida’s 13th Congressional District on Tuesday, flipping party control of the seat previously held by former Rep. Charlie Crist (D).

The 13th was one of the few competitive districts left after the Florida state legislature approved a heavily gerrymandered congressional map pushed by Gov. Ron DeSantis (R) earlier this year. With more than 95 percent of precincts reporting results, Luna carried roughly 53 percent of the vote to Lynn’s 45 percent.

The seat is a big get for Republicans, who are on the cusp of recapturing control of the House after losing their majority in 2018 under former President Trump.

Lynn campaigned as a moderate but faced stiff political headwinds that ultimately helped hand the seat to Luna.

Florida, once the nation’s premier swing state, has lurched to the right in recent years. Early returns show DeSantis and Sen. Marco Rubio (R-Fla.) poised to win reelection on Tuesday night.