Republican Sydney Gruters won the race for House of Representatives in District 16, replacing long-time Republican congressman Vern Buchanan.
Gruters, a working mother of three who is married to the chairman of the Republican National Committee (RNC), Joe Gruters, far outraised her opponent, former Sarasota mayor and single dad, Kelly Kirschner.
Gruters, 45, did not debate her opponent or respond to voter guide questions by WUSF or Ballotpedia.
Her website showed her smiling next to President Donald Trump, juxtaposed with a social media post highlighting his endorsement.
Top issues listed on the campaign site included securing the borders, lowering costs for everyday people through “conservative solutions,” and strengthening veterans’ benefits.
She was endorsed by a host of establishment Republicans including Governor Ron DeSantis, Senator Rick Scott, House Speaker Mike Johnson, police and fire unions, the sheriffs of Pinellas and Sarasota Counties, and her predecessor, Buchanan.
Gruters’ most recent job was as executive director of the New College Foundation, in Sarasota. She was born in Florida and spent more than a decade working in Washington for Congressman Vern Buchanan, whose retirement left District 16 open.
Gruters’ campaign faced criticism from her opponent, Kirschner, and his Republican allies for an ad that used AI-generated imagery to show Kirscher doing a perp walk with a sign on his chest that said “Too Risky for Florida.”
Kirschner has never been arrested. The Bradenton Times reported the ad was part of a massive spending effort by Gruters and affiliated super PACS to portray Kirscher as a “radical extremist.”
A former Peace Corps volunteer in Guatemala, Kirscher was endorsed by the Florida Education Association, Florida AFL-CIO and the Democratic Environmental Caucus of Florida.
Kirscher also garnered some Republican endorsements, including former five-term Republican Congressman Dan Miller and Manatee County Commissioner George Kruse.
Gruters raised $1.6 million for her campaign, about twice as much as her opponent, according to BallotPedia.
District 16 spans parts of Sarasota, Manatee and Pinellas Counties.
Complete Manatee County election results
