2 Gen Z Democrats file to unseat Pinellas Rep. Anna Paulina Luna

Rep. Anna Paulina Luna is inspiring a new generation of would-be leaders to enter the world of politics.

Just perhaps not in the way she intended.

Two Pinellas County Democrats have filed to run against the St. Petersburg Republican in the 13th Congressional District.

Peter Owen, a 25-year-old former paralegal from Clearwater, filed to run against Luna on Dec. 17, according to Federal Election Commission documents.

And Sabrina Bousbar, a 26-year-old Largo native and former adviser for the Administration for Strategic Preparedness and Response at the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, entered the race this week.

Both are younger than the current youngest member of Congress, Rep. Maxwell Frost, 27, of Orlando. And both say a shot of Generation Z is sorely needed in Washington, D.C.

“We need to ensure that Congress looks like America,” said Bousbar, who earns income while running for office by driving for DoorDash and Uber Eats. “We only have one Gen Z member in Congress right now, and Congress does so much for our generation and for future generations to come. It’s important that we have people stand up and run for office on the local level, but also on the higher end of elected office, because it’s just so crucial that we represent all of America.”

Bousbar, whose parents are Colombian and Moroccan immigrants, is a former volunteer at Clearwater Marine Aquarium who once thought she would study marine biology after graduating from Osceola Fundamental High School in Seminole. But an opportunity to study at the Capitol in Tallahassee piqued her interest in policy, which deepened during the early days of COVID-19.

Luna, she said, “is not representing the people. She’s attacking our fundamental rights as women, disregarding the climate crisis, doing nothing about the affordability crisis we’re having here in the state of Florida, and also cutting Social Security. I’ve just had enough, truly, and was like, ‘I want to do something.’”

Owen, who moved from Tennessee to Seminole as a child, highlighted women’s reproductive rights and gun violence as top concerns. But he also pointed to how environmental and climate issues are impacting the oceans and gulf beaches.

“The worsening climate change is really ramping up red tide, which kind of puts a damper on our tourist industry,” he said. “I grew up going to all the beaches. Treasure Island, I used to jump off that bridge when I was in high school with my friends. I used to go feed the tarpon by hand up in Tarpon Springs, and surf the little waves that would come down in St. Pete Beach every once in a while.”

Owen and Bousbar are the fourth and fifth Democrats to enter the race, joining Whitney Fox, a former Pinellas Suncoast Transit Authority employee; Mark Weinkrantz, a retired pilot and former Pinellas County Commission candidate; and John Liccione, an Air Force veteran and technology executive.

Luna, 34, defeated Democrat Eric Lynn in 2022 to claim the seat, which shifted Republican during a statewide redistricting and includes most of Pinellas County. Owen and Bousbar acknowledged that District 13 is redder than before, putting an uphill road before any Democratic candidate. But they see their youth as an asset, rather than a drawback, in pushing the district back toward the left.

“I try to show people that I’m not just running to get into office. I’m running to actually create change,” Owen said. “A vote for me is a vote for change in this county, not just another person to be up there that doesn’t get anything done.”