Manatee County results: Republican Gruters wins District 16 seat, succeeding Buchanan
By Kerry Sheridan
November 3, 2026 at 9:08 PM EST
Sydney Gruters, who is married to the chairman of the Republican National Committee, Joe Gruters, defeated Democrat Kelly Kirschner. Vern Buchanan announced in January he would not seek reelection.
Republican Sydney Gruters won the race for U.S. House in District 16, succeeding long-time Republican Vern Buchanan, who retired.
Gruters, who is married to the chairman of the Republican National Committee, Joe Gruters, captured 51% of the vote to 47% for Democrat Kelly Kirschner, a former Sararsota mayor.
At a victory party in Sarasota on Tuesday night, Gruters thanked the president and Florida governor for their endorsements.
"I have to say thank you to President Donald J. Trump for your support. I probably would not be standing here if it weren't for you, Gov. (Ron) DeSantis," she added.
Gruters, 45, was also backed by a host of establishment Republicans including Sen. Rick Scott, House Speaker Mike Johnson, police and fire unions, the sheriffs of Pinellas and Sarasota counties, and Buchanan, who announced in January he would not seek reelection.
"I will never forget the people that got me here because it wasn't me. It really wasn't," Gruters said.
Gruters did not debate Kirschner or respond to voter guide questions by WUSF or Ballotpedia.
Top issues listed on her campaign site included securing the borders, lowering costs for everyday people through “conservative solutions,” and strengthening veterans’ benefits.
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, D.C. for Buchanan.
Gruters’ campaign faced criticism from Kirschner and his Republican allies for an ad that used AI 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.
Kirschner, 51, is the son of the late Kerry Kirschner, who also was mayor of Sarasota.
Gruters raised $1.6 million for her campaign, about twice that of Kirscher, according to Ballotpedia. In addition, The Bradenton Journal reported some $3.57 million was spent on her campaign by outside sources, including $2.3 million by Conservatives for American Excellence, as well as a cryptocurrency-backed super PAC.
District 16 spans parts of Sarasota, Manatee, DeSoto and Pinellas counties.
Complete Manatee County election results
State Senate
State House
Manatee County Commission
Referendum
School Board
Gruters, who is married to the chairman of the Republican National Committee, Joe Gruters, captured 51% of the vote to 47% for Democrat Kelly Kirschner, a former Sararsota mayor.
At a victory party in Sarasota on Tuesday night, Gruters thanked the president and Florida governor for their endorsements.
"I have to say thank you to President Donald J. Trump for your support. I probably would not be standing here if it weren't for you, Gov. (Ron) DeSantis," she added.
Gruters, 45, was also backed by a host of establishment Republicans including Sen. Rick Scott, House Speaker Mike Johnson, police and fire unions, the sheriffs of Pinellas and Sarasota counties, and Buchanan, who announced in January he would not seek reelection.
"I will never forget the people that got me here because it wasn't me. It really wasn't," Gruters said.
Gruters did not debate Kirschner or respond to voter guide questions by WUSF or Ballotpedia.
Top issues listed on her campaign site included securing the borders, lowering costs for everyday people through “conservative solutions,” and strengthening veterans’ benefits.
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, D.C. for Buchanan.
Gruters’ campaign faced criticism from Kirschner and his Republican allies for an ad that used AI 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.
Kirschner, 51, is the son of the late Kerry Kirschner, who also was mayor of Sarasota.
Gruters raised $1.6 million for her campaign, about twice that of Kirscher, according to Ballotpedia. In addition, The Bradenton Journal reported some $3.57 million was spent on her campaign by outside sources, including $2.3 million by Conservatives for American Excellence, as well as a cryptocurrency-backed super PAC.
District 16 spans parts of Sarasota, Manatee, DeSoto and Pinellas counties.
Complete Manatee County election results
State Senate
State House
Manatee County Commission
Referendum
School Board