U.S. House District 16
3 candidates are on the November 3, 2026 ballot. The two below are the major-party candidates; the other 1 are listed underneath and are on the ballot too.
Kirschner is a former Sarasota mayor running for federal office for the first time. His platform is the most detailed of any challenger in these races, and he is one of only three federal candidates on the Tampa Bay ballot with a published data-center position.
Gruters is a first-time candidate. Her published priorities are short and framed around cost of living, the border, and protecting Social Security and Medicare, with little detail behind each.
No direct PAC contributions reported.
No bundled contributions reported.
No bundled contributions reported.
No independent expenditures reported.
Would keep AI hyperscale data centers out of the district until they prove they won't drain aquifers, raise utility bills, foul the air or override local control.
Source →Against cuts. Would repeal cuts to Medicare and Medicaid and keep Social Security an earned right.
Source →Would create an insurance backstop and end the price-gouging that lets insurers lobby for immunity while premiums climb.
Source →Her priorities page does not address property insurance, though it does address housing costs.
Source →Would fix stormwater systems, stop overdevelopment that worsens flooding, and send disaster money by need rather than political influence.
Source →Her priorities page does not address flooding, sea level rise or storm risk.
Source →Would let government negotiate prescription drug prices and protect people with pre-existing conditions.
Source →End price gouging by oil, electric utility, and grocery giants. Hold insurance companies accountable.
President Trump trusts me to work to lower the cost of living, cut taxes and regulations, and protect affordability for Southwest Florida families!
No published position.
Sydney is ready to fight for Democracy and stand with President Trump to ensure our elections are secure.
Protect Tampa Bay, Sarasota Bay, and our coastline by prohibiting offshore drilling, stopping open-water fish farming, and enforcing the Clean Water Act. Hold phosphate companies accountable and strengthen clean air protections, so toxic waste and dirty air don’t become the taxpayers’ cleanup bill.
No published position.
Expand affordable housing and stop Wall Street from buying up single-family homes and gouging renters.
Sydney will fight to curb overdevelopment and keep homeownership within reach for working families.
No published position.
Sydney will work with President Trump and ICE to keep our families safe from violent criminals entering our country illegally.
Affordable home and flood insurance — and an end to the price-gouging and “business-as-usual” corruption that lets insurers lobby for immunity while your premiums skyrocket.
No published position.
We owe our veterans a VA that answers the phone, a crisis line that works at 3 a.m., and a government that doesn’t make them fight a second war just to get their benefits. Fully staff VA clinics. Restore the Veterans Crisis Line to full 24/7 operation.
Sydney will strengthen veterans’ benefits and protect Social Security and Medicare so seniors and those who served can retire with security and peace of mind.
Also on the ballot
These candidates qualified for the same race and will appear on your ballot. Write-in candidates are the exception — under s.99.061(4) their names are not printed, and a voter has to write them on the blank line.