Who's running in Florida's 16th congressional district
3 candidates are on the ballot. Below is what each one says they stand for, what they have actually done in office or in public life, and the arguments published for and against them — each quoted from a named source rather than summarised by us.
Medium confidenceMedium confidenceThe candidate's stated positions and basic record are documented, but coverage is thin — often little independent reporting, or criticism from only one side.What would raise it: More independent reporting, a documented voting record, or published criticism from a named opponent would raise this.
What they say they stand for
Their own words. Claims, not verified facts.
Cutting taxes and fighting rising costs so working families can afford fuel, groceries and essentials.
Border security, working with the administration and immigration enforcement.
Conservative approaches to inflation.
Election security.
Curbing overdevelopment to keep home ownership affordable.
Strengthening veterans' benefits and protecting Social Security and Medicare.
What they’ve actually done
Documented record from official sources.
District director for Rep. Greg Steube since 2018.
State director for Florida and the U.S. Virgin Islands at USDA Rural Development, appointed in 2017.
Vice president of advancement and executive director of the New College Foundation.
Earlier congressional and Manatee County roles with Rep. Vern Buchanan.
Endorsed by President Donald Trump.
Won the August 18, 2026 Republican primary for the open seat.
Has not held elected office.
Arguments in favor
She knows the district's federal casework from the inside: more than a decade on Vern Buchanan's staff, District Director for Rep. Greg Steube, and State Director for USDA Rural Development in Florida and the U.S. Virgin Islands.
— Sydney Gruters's campaign, as reported by Florida Politics
The whole Republican coalition here is behind her, from the president down to the county level: Donald Trump endorsed her and recorded an Oval Office video for her, joined by Sen. Rick Scott, Speaker Mike Johnson, Rep. Anna Paulina Luna, the retiring incumbent, and the sheriffs of all six counties. She took over 63% of the primary vote.
— Endorsements reported by Florida Politics and Fox News
Arguments against
She is the machine's candidate, not the district's: "Special interests have captured the leadership of the Republican Party and forced patronage to the candidates of their choosing." Her husband, Joe Gruters, chairs the Republican National Committee and sits in the Florida Senate.
— Eddie Speir, her Republican primary opponent
The contest is between a political machine funded by the development industry and special interests and someone outside it — the same machine her husband leads.
— Kelly Kirschner
What we couldn’t verify
She has held no elected office, so there is no voting record to set against her campaign's positions.
As Executive Director of the New College Foundation she was close to an institution her opponent is campaigning against; her account of New College's absorption of USF Sarasota–Manatee's property and programmes was not established from the sources found.
Her positions on health care and on the tariffs were not established from the sources found.
Won the August 18, 2026 Democratic primary for the open seat.
Arguments in favor
We found none published about this candidate in the sources reviewed.
Arguments against
We found none published about this candidate in the sources reviewed.
What we couldn’t verify
No published criticism of Kirschner by name could be found: not from Sydney Gruters or her campaign, not from the National Republican Congressional Committee, not from his Democratic primary opponents, and not from Sarasota and Manatee news coverage. Because no case against him exists on the record, none is presented for him either, rather than showing his own campaign's case unanswered. This seat is genuinely contested and that is likely to change during the general election.
His positions on immigration and taxation were not stated in material available.
No-party-affiliation candidate for the 16th District, qualified for the November 3, 2026 general election.
Arguments in favor
We found none published about this candidate in the sources reviewed.
Arguments against
We found none published about this candidate in the sources reviewed.
What we couldn’t verify
No published criticism of Davis by name could be found, and no published case for him beyond his own campaign site. As a candidate with no party organisation behind him he has drawn very little coverage. Because no case against him exists on the record, none is presented for him either.
His fundraising and any endorsements were not reported in material available.
Positions and criticism are quoted from the named sources, not our assessments. This is built to help you start getting informed — confirm the official candidate list with your election authority before you vote.
This seat is open: Republican incumbent Vern Buchanan is not on the November ballot. Three candidates are: Republican Sydney Gruters, Democrat Kelly Kirschner and Mark Davis, running with no party affiliation. Florida enacted a new congressional map in May 2026 that reworked most of the state's districts, this one among them; it now takes in Manatee, Hardee and DeSoto counties plus parts of Sarasota, Pinellas and Polk. The Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee added the open seat to its list of districts in play, and one district poll put the two major candidates within a point of each other. Roster from the Florida qualifying lists as reported by Politics1 and Wikipedia. Arguments are shown for Gruters, who has been criticised by name in both the primary and the general. No published criticism of Kirschner or Davis by name was found, so neither column is filled for them; their positions and records are in their profiles.
This is one contest on a longer ballot
A Florida ballot also carries state legislative districts, county offices, judicial seats and often local questions — and which of them you vote on is decided by your street address, not your city or ZIP code.
Your ballot is determined by your election authority, not by us. Verify your registration, precinct, and sample ballot at Florida Division of Elections.