Leela Gray “Would be First-Ever Female General Elected to Congress” [Military.com]

In a new interview with Military.com, Gray shared how her family and upbringing shaped her run for Congress. A third-generation veteran who grew up on SNAP and WIC, Gray worked her way up to becoming a Brigadier General, living by the value of service over self.

“The America that we’re experiencing today is not the America that I grew up in…The cost of gas, the cost of groceries, the cost of insurance, the cost of health care…the No. 1 issue here is the cost of living crisis that we need to tackle on day one.” – Leela Gray

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Military.com: Exclusive: 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.
• 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.
• …Money was scarce and there wasn’t always enough to put food on the table. 
• “…There were times that my family experienced the need for food stamps, and…WIC…. I remember standing in line in middle and early high school, having a reduced lunch or free lunch.”
• 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”…
• “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… everything that does and doesn’t happen under your watch is your responsibility, and I take that very seriously.”
• 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.
• The Iran War and its economic impact on Americans is a pillar of Gray’s campaign.
• 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.
• “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.”
• 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.
• “We need transparency and accountability, and we have to tackle some of the corruption going on, like stock trading…”
• A House Majority PAC poll…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.
• “… I think that’s really important because that’s the title that we have. It’s representative, and if you’re not listening to the actual voters, how are you going to… represent them?” she added.

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