Leela Gray, a Retired Army Brigadier General, Would be First-Ever Female General Elected to Congress

Leela Gray has come a long way since working at Golden Corral to support her higher education efforts, eventually serving decades as a military leader who is now vying for a legislative seat in Washington.

Gray is a retired brigadier general in the U.S. Army, a small business owner and 20-year Tampa Bay resident vying for a bigger seat at the table. She threw her hat into politics and so far has experienced great results, winning her Democratic primary in resounding fashion earlier this year.

She’s facing off against Republican Rep. Anna Paulina Luna in the competitive 13th Congressional District in Florida, which Luna—an Air Force veteran—has served since 2023.

Gray spoke with Military.com about an upbringing that was normal in some regards and more difficult in others, working her way up to eventually serve 30 years in the Army before working on her own to help fellow veterans receive their benefits.

A Fun Childhood But One With Struggles

Gray grew up in rural Virginia, in a small town off of Route 29 in the middle of the state.

Her father was an Air Force veteran who learned his trade of being a mechanic in the service, later opening a small auto shop right off the highway. She describes her childhood as one like most other Gen X’ers, in that there was a level of independence and free play.

But money was scarce and there wasn’t always enough to put food on the table. Vacations were also minimal, often leading to camping excursions that aided Gray’s affinity for nature.

“It was a tough situation because there were times that my family experienced the need for food stamps, and I even remember one small period of time where we had the WIC [Women Children Infants] program. … I remember standing in line in middle and early high school, having a reduced lunch or free lunch. And as a child, I felt that that was really embarrassing,” she said.

Gray “knew” she would attain higher education. But after being accepted but being unable to afford one school, combined with her parents’ divorce, she was stuck in her life.

She worked numerous jobs at American staples like Golden Corral, McDonald’s, Burger King, Pizza Hut and Shoney’s. She was a babysitter and sold greeting cards door to door.

How the Military Picture Entered Gray’s Worldview

Gray eventually attended Elon University and worked on campus in a work study program because she didn’t have a lot of money.

She received a letter in the mail and the opportunity to apply for an ROTC scholarship. At that time, Gray didn’t really know much about ROTC because even though she had some military heritage between her dad and Air Force grandfather, they were all enlisted.

“Once I dug into it a little bit, and then I did my interviews to apply for the scholarship, I thought, ‘Wow, this sounds like something I would really, really enjoy doing, and that I could see myself doing.’ I took it to the degree that I could, PT in the mornings, three days a week.”

Her first summer she went to Fort Knox, where she became endeared to wearing the full uniform and doing field training, meeting people from all walks of life. She spent the following summer at Fort Bragg, continuing her mission of finding a purpose bigger than herself.

Lifetime Lessons Made Through Service

Gray’s career took off as she ultimately became a brigadier general, guiding new strategies to transform operational effectiveness while leading training for more than 20,000 personnel in logistics, engineer, medical and telecom units nationwide.

She called it “an incredible privilege to lead soldiers” in a capacity that doesn’t involve micromanagement but trusting freely.

“Ultimately, you’re responsible for people’s lives,” she said. “In every capacity that I’ve ever been, the buck stops with me. And when you’re in command, like I was four different times, everything that does and doesn’t happen under your watch is your responsibility, and I take that very seriously.”

That led to her trusting her non-commissioned officers with providing vital information leading to solid decisions, with the same mindset attributed to junior officers to ensure they possess all the resources they require.

She retired roughly eight years ago and said her takeaway following 30-plus years in service, plus becoming a post-service lawyer, has involved taking on that mantle of leadership.

“Your job is to make sure that you are listening to what’s going on, that you’re learning about the issues that are potentially preventing you from accomplishing your mission or taking care of soldiers and their families—and then you lead to solve them.

“That is a key takeaway that from very early on, bosses that I had that set a great example for me, or that coached me, or that saw I didn’t do a good job. … You have to learn about it, and then you have to lead to solve those problems because, quite frankly, being a senior military leader, it’s really about problem solving.”

The Military Operation in Iran

The Iran War and its economic impact on Americans is a pillar of Gray’s campaign.

Gray called the February strikes that launched this recent iteration “reckless,” adding that she worked on the Middle East in some way, shape or form for six different years and that the methodology currently utilized by the Trump administration is not “well planned.”

“We certainly don’t have clear strategic objectives,” she said. “We wouldn’t be where we are today if they actually are strategic objectives, and the greatest impact is the American people, and certainly the lives that have been lost because of this reckless choice.”

Gray, who conducted 11 different trips in 18 months to the Middle East and talked to troops on the ground, said poor planning has resulted in a more calamitous outcome that has left the U.S. worse off.

“We need to pull that back, and it’s Congress’ job,” she added. “Let’s be really clear: Congress has abdicated its responsibility in this regard. They are responsible for declaring war, and they’ve allowed the administration to do what it wants to do. It’s not doing its job.”

Entering the Political Fray

Gray delved into different endeavors after the military, including launching a TV show in the Tampa area called Veterans Strong to highlight the strength of veterans and the talent that veterans bring to the business world.

She also served with some small companies and nonprofits to give back and offer her expertise.

But her reasoning for now running for Congress can be connected to her own family. Gray and her husband, a Navy officer, have a 25-year-old daughter and the couple looked around at the state of the country.

“It is very difficult,” Gray said. “Even I consider the fact that she has my myself and my husband as her safety net, but an average 25-year-old does not have a safety net. They shouldn’t even have to have a safety net. The America that we’re experiencing today is not the America that I grew up in, and I certainly feel like I truly am the product of the American dream.”

She said she’s “worried” about the direction of the nation, mentioning a cost-of-living crisis that is plaguing constituents in Pinellas County, Fla. and beyond. It’s a problem when individuals in their 30s and even 40s are moving in with parents in their 70s, she added.

“The purging of our military had me greatly concerned [about] what was going on because some of those leaders I actually knew personally,” she said. “They are top-notch patriots, and the depth of experience and leadership that they have for and to be able to deliver for our country, the fact that they’ve been purged, that they’ve been relieved for no reason, that has me concerned.”

A Campaign Aiming to Hit Corruption at its Core

Gray, who won her three-person primary with 65% of the vote, said the district that composes the 13th Congressional District is perhaps different from others due to location. The coast economy is exacerbated by the impacts of hurricanes, leading to “sky high” insurance costs that affect civilians and retired military alike.

“So, how are they going to absorb those costs when you’re already on a fixed income?” she said. “The cost of gas, the cost of groceries, the cost of insurance, the cost of health care, which in some cases is doubling and tripling for people that are in their 50’s…the No. 1 issue here is the cost of living crisis that we need to tackle on day one.”

Gray has also championed an anti-corruption agenda, which includes overturning the Supreme Court’s Citizens United decision, banning corporate PAC donations, banning the buying and selling of stocks, banning prediction markets, and suspending pay during government shutdowns.

“Honestly, it doesn’t go to the depths that I really want to take it to, but I wanted to make sure people understood that I’m ready to stand for them,” she said. “We need transparency and accountability, and we have to tackle some of the corruption going on, like stock trading. … We need to make sure that it goes the full way to prevent members of Congress, the Supreme Court, the administration, and cabinet members.”

Ultimately, elections are about candidates. A House Majority PAC poll conducted by Hart Research Associates from Aug. 25 to Aug. 27 showed Gray ahead of Luna by 5 percentage points. The poll found Gray winning 56% of unaffiliated voters to Luna’s 39%, and pulling a quarter (24%) of Republicans—including 9% of 2024 Trump voters.

Meanwhile, the president’s approval rating in District 13 sits at 43% approval to 57% disapproval—a 14-point deficit.

Gray said running for office means to listen, learn and lead.

“That’s that’s one of the chief complaints here is that (Luna’s) not here listening, that she’s spending more time doing other things for herself, going around on social media or the national media, but she’s not here in the district talking to the actual people, the voters,” Gray said.

“She even failed to show up for a town hall last year that people really wanted to be able to express themselves, and I think that’s really important because that’s the title that we have. It’s representative, and if you’re not listening to to the actual voters, how are you going to actually represent them?” she added.