Anna Paulina Luna | |
|---|---|
 Official portrait, 2022 | |
| Member of theU.S. House of Representatives fromFlorida's13th district | |
| Assumed office January 3, 2023 | |
| Preceded by | Charlie Crist |
| Personal details | |
| Born | Anna Paulina Mayerhofer (1989-05-06)May 6, 1989 (age 36) Santa Ana, California, U.S. |
| Political party | Republican |
| Spouse | Andrew Gamberzky |
| Children | 1 |
| Education | University of West Florida (BS) |
| Signature |  |
| Website | House website Campaign website |
| Military service | |
| Allegiance |  United States |
| Branch/service |  United States Air Force |
| Years of service | 2009–2014 |
| Unit | Oregon Air National Guard |
| Awards | Air Force Achievement Medal |
Anna Paulina Luna (née Mayerhofer; born May 6, 1989) is an American politician andAir Force veteran serving as theU.S. representative forFlorida's 13th congressional district since 2023. A member of theRepublican Party, she is the firstMexican-American woman elected to Congress from Florida.
Luna served as airfield management specialist in theAir National Guard from age 19, serving from 2009 to 2014. For her service, she was awarded the Air Force Achievement Medal.[1]Luna graduated from theUniversity of West Florida in 2017. In her first campaign, Luna challenged and lost to incumbent Democratic congressmanCharlie Crist in2020. Luna was subsequently elected to the U.S. House of Representatives in2022 with the endorsement of then-former presidentDonald Trump in the Republican primary. Luna was reelected in2024.
Luna serves on the House Committee on Foreign Affairs and the House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform. During her congressional tenure, Luna has maintained a conservative voting record of 98% according toHeritage Action.[2]
Anna Paulina Mayerhofer was born on May 6, 1989, to George Mayerhofer and Monica Todd, an elementary schoolteacher and stay-at-home mother, inSanta Ana, California.[3][4][5][6] Luna has said that her father raised her to followMessianic Judaism, an evangelical movement that incorporates Jewish traditions into Protestant Christianity, and that she is "a small fractionAshkenazi".[5][7][8][9] Members of her extended family have said her father was Catholic and that "they were not aware of him practicing any form of Judaism while Luna was growing up". Her mother has said that Luna's father was a "Christian that embraced the Messianic faith" after getting clean from drug addiction. Her grandfather, Heinrich Mayerhofer, identified as Catholic when he immigrated to Canada in 1954.[5]
Her father had Mexican and German ancestry. Her paternal grandmother was born inHidalgo, Mexico. Her paternal grandfather was born in Germany and was in theWehrmacht duringWorld War II.[5] Her mother hasMexican-American ancestry,[5] although a maternal great-grandfather was the son of anAmerican immigrant to Mexico and a native ofColima, Mexico.[10] Her two maternal great-grandfathers served in theUnited States Armed Forces during World War II.[5]
Luna's parents never married or lived together;[6] her father had a drug addiction problem,[5] her mother married another man when Luna was nine years old but divorced four years later.[6] Luna was raised in theOrange County cities ofSanta Ana,Irvine, andAliso Viejo, as well asLos Angeles, and has calledSanta Monica her hometown.[11] She attended high school in Los Angeles.[3][5]
Luna said that at the age of 10, she found her father's bag ofmeth.[3] Her maternal grandmother was a long-time heroin user and was HIV positive.[5][12] By 2020, she (Anna) and her mother (Monica) had chosen the Luna surname as "an homage" to that woman's maiden name.[5][12]
Luna has said that she "grew up in the welfare system"[13] she was raised by her mother on government assistance with "no family to rely on", and she was raised in a "broken home mentality".[5] Luna has said that both she and her mother lacked "a strong extended network of people" who could help care for them,[5] and that she had attended "over six high schools" before graduating.[3] Luna's cousin has said, "The whole family kind of raised her—my dad was a part of her life when she was younger and we all kind of coddled her ... She was always a part of everything, all these family gatherings and activities". Luna's aunt said, "She had everything. What she needed and more ... And not only did [Luna's mother] provide for her, but [Luna's grandfather] did, too."[5] Luna has disputed these accounts, saying that she "barely spent any time with them in her entire life". Luna's mother said that she (Monica) had to rely on welfare for periods of time, especially while she was putting herself through college at theUniversity of California, Irvine, and then at theUCLA School of Law, and that she was the only source of meaningful financial support for the family.[12]
Luna's campaign website biography says that throughout her childhood and teenage years, her father "spent time in and out of incarceration", and that she communicated with him "through letters to jail and collect calls". Luna's mother and aunt said that he served several short stints in jail for not paying child support. Luna's mother also said that he spent at least one year in jail for a drug-related charge.[5] Luna's father was sentenced toOrange County jail on at least five different occasions. He was convicted for crimes including carrying a loaded gun in public, violating probation, and driving with a suspended license. He was charged but not convicted forassault andbattery and possession of illegal drugs.[6] The drug possession case indicated that Luna's father was in custody around the time of two court appearances. The case information did not specify the length of his confinement; the court proceedings lasted about three months.[12]
Luna served in theU.S. Air Force from 2009 to 2014 as an airfield management specialist, atWhiteman Air Force Base inMissouri andHurlburt Field inFlorida. Her decorations included theAir Force Achievement Medal. She subsequently joined theOregon Air National Guard.[3]
While in the Air Force, she began studying at a local college.[6] She also modeled during this period, appearing in 2013'sSports Illustrated's online site, and briefly worked as acocktail waitress in astrip club.[6][14] She later appeared as a swimsuit model inMaxim magazine in 2014.[3][15][16][4] Luna gained a following as anInstagram influencer.[5]
Luna said that she experienced a 2010 early morning home invasion by her landlord while stationed atWhiteman Air Force Base.[5] Luna's roommate said she did not remember such an incident. Instead, the roommate recalled a daytime break-in when Luna was not home. AWarrensburg Police Department report described the July 2010 incident as a "burglary not in progress".[5]
In 2017, Luna earned a Bachelor of Science in biology from theUniversity of West Florida.[3]
Luna became the director of Hispanic engagement forTurning Point USA in 2018.[17] In a November 2018Fox News segment, she comparedHillary Clinton toherpes, leading the network to cut the segment short and hostRick Leventhal and anchorArthel Neville to apologize to viewers.[18] In 2020, she appeared at aWe Build the Wall event as vice president of Bienvenido, an organization dedicated to conservative Hispanic outreach.[19]
Luna decided to run for Congress in 2018. She entered the Republican primary forFlorida's 13th congressional district in September 2019, andMatt Gaetz endorsed her in November 2019.[20] She was also endorsed byCharlie Kirk,Elise Stefanik,Students for Trump, and former mayor ofSt. Petersburg, Florida,Bill Foster.[21][22] In July 2020, she and her husband purchased a house in St. Petersburg, nearMacDill Air Force Base, where her husband was stationed.[3] Luna won the Republican primary, but lost to incumbent DemocratCharlie Crist in the general election.[23][24]
Luna was elected as the U.S. representative forFlorida's 13th congressional district in the2022 election, defeating Democratic nominee Eric Lynn, a former senior advisor forBarack Obama. Before the Republican primary, another Republican candidate privately threatened to have her assassinated by a hit squad.[25] In June 2021, Luna was granted a temporarystalking injunction against her primary opponent, William Braddock, after a friend of Luna's recorded Braddock threatening to make Luna "disappear" and claiming he had "access to a hit squad, too, Ukrainians and Russians". Braddock dropped out of the race after the judge granted the temporary injunction. The judge dismissed the request for a permanent injunction, saying she found one instance of harassment when the law required two.[26]
Donald Trump endorsed Luna,[27] andMarjorie Taylor Greene campaigned for her in Florida.[7] She is the firstMexican-American woman elected to Congress fromFlorida.[28]
Luna was challenged in the general election by Whitney Fox, a moderate Democrat and former communications director for the Pinellas Suncoast Transit Authority.[29] Though seen as the only Florida house seat being in striking distance for Democrats, Luna won re-election with 55% of the vote, compared to Fox's 45%.[30]
On May 23, 2023, Luna co-sponsored resolutions toimpeach Attorney GeneralMerrick Garland,[31]FBI directorChristopher Wray,[32]Secretary of Homeland SecurityAlejandro Mayorkas,[33] and U.S. attorney for D.C.Matthew M. Graves.[34]
On June 21, 2023, Luna sponsored a resolution censuring Democratic representative Adam Schiff for his past actions as chair of the House Intelligence Committee in leading investigations into then-president Donald Trump.[35] The House agreed to the resolution with a vote of 213–209.[36]
On July 10, 2024, Luna brought forward a privileged resolution to have U.S. attorney generalMerrick Garland found ininherent contempt of Congress.[37] The resolution would have imposed a fine of $10,000 per day on Garland for defying a congressional subpoena.[38] The measure failed to pass in a 204 to 210 vote.[39][40]
In the118th Congress she co-sponsored a pair of resolutions meant toexpunge theimpeachments of Donald Trump.[41] In the119th United States Congress, she again co-sponsored resolutions to expunge Trump's impeachments.[42]
In January 2025, Luna introduced a bill proposing to add Trump's face toMount Rushmore.[43]
In March 2025, Luna worked with Rep.Brittany Pettersen (D), some other Democrats and some Republicans to force a vote on a bill through adischarge petition which would allow new parents tovote by proxy. The petition angered members of the Freedom Caucus, who believe that proxy voting is unconstitutional, and led them to initially vote against a procedural rules vote on Republican supported energy bills. After negotiations with House Republican leadership, the Freedom Caucus would later allow the vote to pass. Freedom Caucus leadership urged Republican leadership to raise the threshold required to force a vote on a bill through a discharge petition.[44] Luna would later resign from the Freedom Caucus. In a letter, she said her decision to resign was due to the loss of "mutual respect that has guided our caucus."[45] On April 1, Republican leadership attempted to pass a rule vote that would prevent Luna's bill from being voted on. Nine Republicans (Luna,Tim Burchett,Mike Lawler,Kevin Kiley,Nick LaLota,Jeff Van Drew,Max Miller,Greg Steube andRyan Mackenzie) joined all Democrats to block the rule vote.[46] On April 6, Luna and Johnson reached an agreement that would allow absent members to usevote pairing. Their intended vote will still be published in theCongressional Record.[47]
In September 2025, Luna criticized theAnti-Defamation League for listingChristian Identity, a white supremacist and antisemitic religious ideology, as extremist. The criticism came afterElon Musk negatively commented on a screenshot of the ADL's page on Christian Identity. Luna claimed the ADL was "intentionally creating a targeted hate campaign against Christians."[48]
For the118th Congress:[49]
In June 2022, Luna repeatedfalse claims that the2020 United States presidential election was stolen, "I believe that President Trump won that election, and I do believe that voter fraud occurred." The previous month, she attended ared carpet event and screening of2000 Mules, a film that claims to show evidence ofwidespread electoral fraud in the 2020 election.[53] She authored the 2023 Christian children's book,The Legend of Naranja, which suggests that Biden stole the 2020 election.[54]
In February 2025, Luna was appointed by SpeakerMike Johnson to lead a HouseOversight Task Force on declassification of federal secrets,[55] instigated by president Trump's executive order on "Declassification of Records Concerning the Assassinations of President John F. Kennedy, Senator Robert F. Kennedy, and the Reverend Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr."[56] During September 2025 the scope of the task force included a hearing on "UAP transparency andwhistleblower protection".[57] During her inquiry into theassassination of John F. Kennedy, Luna said she had been handed a report byRussian Ambassador to the United StatesAlexander Darchiev which contained the Russian government's "findings on who assassinated JFK". Luna further said the release of the documents was "of massive historical significance." Conservative columnistMarc Thiessen mocked Luna, sarcastically replying "Zero chance the Russians are laughing at you."[58] She stated during a congressional hearing for the further release of documents related to the JFK assassination that efforts were underway to release a film taken by Dave Wiegman Jr. ofNBC that caught an unidentified figure during the assassinationdubbed "prayer man", theorized by some to have been Lee Harvey Oswald.[59] She later initiated a lawsuit against the US government for the release of the films taken by Wiegman and James Darnell ofWBAP-TV, which also caught the "prayer man" figure.[60] A petition was launched onOpenpetition.com and received support from many.[61]
Following theassassination of Charlie Kirk in 2025, Luna spoke at Kirk's memorial. Luna said that Kirk had recruited her to work at Turning Point USA, and credited him with launching her political career.[62] Luna wrote a letter calling for a statue of Charlie Kirk to be installed in theUnited States Capitol.[63] Luna further shared a meme comparing Kirk toMartin Luther King Jr.,Jesus Christ,Abraham Lincoln, andJohn F. Kennedy, saying these individuals were killed "All because of words." When Kirk was alive, he had condemned King as "awful". King's daughterBernice King criticized the post, writing "There are so many things wrong with this. So many. I get tired, y'all."[64]
Luna has expressed strong support forabortion bans, labeling herself a "pro-life extremist".[65][66][67] She has said her anti-abortion stance originates from having dissected achicken egg in college and seeing the chick react to a scalpel blade: "God was using that opportunity to really wake me up."[4]
In March 2024, Luna led a letter signed by 10 House Republicans to theHouse Agriculture Committee opposing the inclusion of the Ending Agriculture Trade Suppression (EATS) Act in the 2024farm bill.[68] The EATS Act aimed to prevent state and local governments from enforcing regulations on the production of agricultural goods sold across state lines. The letter expressed concern that the legislation would negatively impact American farmers and cede influence over the U.S. agricultural system to entities owned by foreign adversaries, particularly China. It was noted by agricultural industry observers and advocacy organizations for signaling conservative Republican opposition to federal preemption of state-levelanimal welfare laws such asCalifornia's Proposition 12.[69][70]
In an August 2022 interview, Luna said that she would support a ban onU.S. oil exports to increase the domestic oil supply, saying, "The United States has literally one of the biggest supplies of cleanest oil in the entire world. There's no reason why we need to be going to places like Saudi Arabia or even Venezuela to get those oil sources." She said this view belonged to an "America First" platform, adding, "If it means not selling to other countries so that here in the United States, we can literally lower the gas prices, that's what I agree with."[71]
Luna was among the 71 Republicans who voted against final passage of theFiscal Responsibility Act of 2023 in the House.[72]
In March 2025, Luna and DemocratAlexandria Ocasio-Cortez co-sponsored legislation seeking to cap credit card interest rates at 10%.[73]
Luna's website states that sheopposes "radical left-wing gender theory being pushed on our kids".[74]
Luna appeared on the February/March 2020 cover ofBallistic magazine, which called her "DC's Next2A Warrior".[3] In February 2023, she was one of several members of Congress seen wearingAR-15 rifle lapel pins.[75]
In September 2020, Luna threatened to sueTwitter because the company refused to verify her account, alleging "political prejudice" and calling it "election meddling",[76] and in October 2020, Luna's campaign said it filed a complaint with theFEC over Twitter's refusal to verify Luna's account. The FEC complaint said that Twitter violated theequal time rule by verifyingCharlie Crist but not Luna and asked the FEC to force Twitter to verify Luna's account.[77]
During a combativeHouse Oversight Committee hearing on February 8, 2023, Luna alleged that Twitter, the federal government, "leftist nonprofits", and potentially theDemocratic National Committee had acted jointly to censor Americans in November 2020 through theJira project management platform, and that it violated theFirst Amendment.[78][79][80]
Luna is a cosponsor of theUkraine Fatigue Resolution (H.Res.113), sponsored by Florida representativeMatt Gaetz. The bill would suspend allU.S. foreign aid to Ukraine for the war there and demand that all combatants in this conflict reach a peace agreement immediately.[81]
In 2023, Luna was among 98 Republicans to vote for a ban oncluster munitions toUkraine.[82][83] The same year, Luna voted for a moratorium on aid toUkraine.[84][85] In April 2024, Luna again voted against the $60 billion military aid package for Ukraine.[86]
In October 2025, amidst theRusso-Ukrainian war, Luna met withKirill Dmitriev, an envoy ofRussian presidentVladimir Putin. Regarding the meeting, Luna said that she wished to "foster the relationship and conversations of peace and trade. Our two countries do not need to be enemies. Allies in trade benefit everyone."[87][88] After Putin said that Donald Trump deserved theNobel Peace Prize, Luna praised Putin, thanking the Russian government for "backing" the President.[89] That same year she Luna expressed opposition to U.S. membership inNATO.[90]
In 2023, Luna was among 47 Republicans to vote in favor of H.Con.Res. 21, which directed PresidentJoe Biden to remove U.S. troops fromSyria within 180 days.[96][97] That same year Luna was among 52 Republicans who voted in favor H.Con.Res. 30, which would remove American troops from Somalia.[98][99]
Luna identifies as aMessianic Jewish Christian.[5] Luna is married to Andrew Gamberzky, aU.S. Air Force combat controller.[3] In 2019, she took her maternal grandmother's maiden name, Luna, to represent her Hispanic heritage.[3] She did this to follow suit from her mother who had first changed her surname to the same, following a finalized divorce.[12]
Luna announced that she had given birth to a son on August 27, 2023.[100]
In mid-August 2025, Luna said onThe Joe Rogan Experience that she had heard testimony about non-human beings on earth. She said that "Congress has seen proof of "interdimensional beings." and that "I think that they can actually operate through the time spaces that we currently have".[101][102]
Luna has authored two books:
| Year | Office | Party | Primary | General | Result | Swing | Ref. | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Total | % | P. | Total | % | P. | ||||||||
| 2020 | U.S. House | Republican | 22,941 | 36.14% | 1st | 190,713 | 46.95% | 2nd | Lost | Hold | [103] | ||
| 2022 | Republican | 37,156 | 44.48% | 1st | 181,487 | 53.14% | 1st | Won | Gain | [104] | |||
| 2024 | Republican | 225,636 | 54.82% | 1st | Won | Hold | [105] | ||||||
| Source:Secretary of State of Florida |Election Results | |||||||||||||
Originally from Santa Monica, California. I recently got out of the military in January after 5 years of service to pursue my medical education . . . . I have made my personal goal to have traveled to 20 countries before my 25th birthday and this december I will have completed it. I grew up pretty much a tomboy
I grew up in the welfare system and know the price of a buck
In Florida, Anna Paulina Luna of the state's redrawn 13th District picked up the seat vacated by Charlie Crist, the failed Democratic gubernatorial candidate. [...] She also made history by being the first Mexican American woman elected to represent Florida in Congress.
| U.S. House of Representatives | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by | Member of theU.S. House of Representatives fromFlorida's 13th congressional district 2023–present | Incumbent |
| U.S. order of precedence (ceremonial) | ||
| Preceded by | United States representatives by seniority 337th | Succeeded by |
