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Sydney Gruters
Kelly Kirschner
3 candidates. Listed as they appear on the ballot.
Sydney Gruters
Kelly Kirschner
Position on major issues
Kirschner is a third-generation Floridian who holds both a bachelor's and a master's degree from Georgetown University. After leaving city hall, Kirschner spent over a decade working in higher education administration, serving from 2012 to 2025 as the Vice President and Dean of Executive and Continuing Education at Eckerd College.
Campaigning under the slogan "Let's Fix This," Kirschner runs a "people-powered" platform that emphasizes economic consumer protections, environmental defense, and bipartisan governance over corporate special interests.
Party:
No bio available for this candidate
Party:
3 candidates. Listed as they appear on the ballot.
We share more ground than you might expect
Common Ground
Thinking for yourself matters
Position on major issues
Position on major issues
Position on major issues
Abortion and reproductive policy
No public position found.
No public position found.
• Women’s rights and reproductive freedom...protected in federal law
Nobody wants the government forcing birth. Read full quote
Sources
https://markdavisforcongress.com/more-about-why
Archived copy: https://web.archive.org/web/20261001040630/https://markdavisforcongress.com/more-about-whyhttps://markdavisforcongress.com/issues
No public positions found.
Agriculture and rural policy
No public position found.
Give small businesses, farmers, manufacturers, and commercial fishermen stable, predictable rules so they can invest, hire, and grow with confidence.
Sources
https://kellykirschner.comArchived copy: https://web.archive.org/web/20260930191112/https://kellykirschner.com
No public position found.
No public positions found.
Artificial intelligence
No public position found.
Make sure the AI revolution — which billionaires like Elon Musk are building with our data and our labor market — works for the middle class, not just for them. Workers deserve protection. Consumers deserve rights.
Workers deserve protection. Consumers deserve rights. The future of this country should not be engineered by a handful of unelected tech oligarchs.
Protect Tampa Bay, Sarasota Bay, and our coastline by prohibiting offshore drilling, stopping open-water fish farming, and enforcing the Clean Water Act. Read full quote
Sources
https://kellykirschner.comArchived copy: https://web.archive.org/web/20260930191112/https://kellykirschner.com
No public position found.
No public positions found.
Civil rights and freedoms
No public position found.
No public position found.
Equal rights for all Americans...no loopholes, no exceptions
Sources
https://markdavisforcongress.com/more-about-whyArchived copy: https://web.archive.org/web/20261001040630/https://markdavisforcongress.com/more-about-why
No public positions found.
Criminal justice and policing
No public position found.
No public position found.
Here’s where we cut through the noise. Read full quote
No public positions found.
Economy, jobs and wages
Sydney is ready to cut taxes and fight rising costs so working families can afford gas, groceries, and everyday essentials.
Sydney will fight rising prices with conservative solutions that help families keep more of what they earn.
Sources
https://grutersforcongress.com
Give small businesses, farmers, manufacturers, and commercial fishermen stable, predictable rules so they can invest, hire, and grow with confidence.
Protect the Gulf Coast that powers our economy. Clean water, healthy beaches, and resilient coastlines protect tourism, commercial fishing, home values, and thousands of local jobs.
Make sure the AI revolution — which billionaires like Elon Musk are building with our data and our labor market — works for the middle class, not just for them. Workers deserve protection. Consumers deserve rights.
Sources
https://kellykirschner.comArchived copy: https://web.archive.org/web/20260930191112/https://kellykirschner.com
+2 more
Working Families Look, first and foremost, let’s not sugarcoat it: the economy is in the toilet. Read full quote
No public positions found.
Education
No public position found.
Restore the workforce opportunities our Manasota region lost by supporting nursing, teacher preparation, veterans’ education, workforce training, apprenticeships, and affordable four-year degree pathways. Read full quote
Sources
https://kellykirschner.comArchived copy: https://web.archive.org/web/20260930191112/https://kellykirschner.com
• Free public college and trade school...because debt shouldn’t be the price of opportunity
Sources
https://markdavisforcongress.com/more-about-whyArchived copy: https://web.archive.org/web/20261001040630/https://markdavisforcongress.com/more-about-why
No public positions found.
Elections and voting
Sydney is ready to fight for Democracy and stand with President Trump to ensure our elections are secure.
Sources
https://grutersforcongress.com
And he led the charge to pass the strongest municipal campaign finance reform legislation in Florida’s history.
Sources
https://kellykirschner.com/press/congressional-candidate-kelly-kirschner-raises-over-100000-in-the-first-week-0-from-corporate-pacs/Archived copy: https://web.archive.org/web/20260930191140/https://kellykirschner.com/press/congressional-candidate-kelly-kirschner-raises-over-100000-in-the-first-week-0-from-corporate-pacs/
Democracy isn’t a command center. It’s a ground-level movement. When you let a handful of people at the top dictate everything, you squash the voices of everyday Americans.
No public positions found.
Energy
No public position found.
Invest in affordable energy that lowers your bills.
Support affordable, reliable alternative energy that lowers utility bills, strengthens our electric grid, and gives families and businesses more certainty.
I have taken on FPL, sweetheart marina deals, and special interests – and won. I did it for our families in Sarasota, and I am ready to do it in Washington.
Sources
https://kellykirschner.comArchived copy: https://web.archive.org/web/20260930191112/https://kellykirschner.comhttps://kellykirschner.com/press/congressional-candidate-kelly-kirschner-raises-over-100000-in-the-first-week-0-from-corporate-pacs/
No public position found.
No public positions found.
Environment and climate
No public position found.
A fully funded, proactive FEMA so that when hurricanes strike, our region isn’t left waiting for help.
Protect the Gulf Coast that powers our economy. Clean water, healthy beaches, and resilient coastlines protect tourism, commercial fishing, home values, and thousands of local jobs.
Protect Tampa Bay, Sarasota Bay, and our coastline by prohibiting offshore drilling, stopping open-water fish farming, and enforcing the Clean Water Act. Read full quote
Sources
https://kellykirschner.comArchived copy: https://web.archive.org/web/20260930191112/https://kellykirschner.com
No public position found.
No public positions found.
Families and social services
No public position found.
No public position found.
No public position found.
No public positions found.
Firearms policy
No public position found.
No public position found.
• Common-sense gun laws...so our kids stop becoming targets
Nobody wants the government forcing birth. Read full quote
Sources
https://markdavisforcongress.com/more-about-whyArchived copy: https://web.archive.org/web/20261001040630/https://markdavisforcongress.com/more-about-whyhttps://markdavisforcongress.com/issues
No public positions found.
Government reform
No public position found.
Kelly Kirschner condemned President Donald Trump’s illegal use of taxpayer money for political propaganda promoting himself and called on his opponent, Sydney Gruters, to reject the corrupt misuse of public power for private gain, including her husband’s – Joe Gruters, RNC Chair.
“Working families were promised relief eighteen months ago. Read full quote
Sources
https://kellykirschner.comArchived copy: https://web.archive.org/web/20260930191112/https://kellykirschner.comhttps://kellykirschner.com/press/congressional-candidate-kelly-kirschner-raises-over-100000-in-the-first-week-0-from-corporate-pacs/
Checks and balances rebuilt...so no one man can ever rule again
Democracy isn’t a command center. It’s a ground-level movement. When you let a handful of people at the top dictate everything, you squash the voices of everyday Americans.
Sources
https://markdavisforcongress.com/more-about-whyArchived copy: https://web.archive.org/web/20261001040630/https://markdavisforcongress.com/more-about-whyhttps://markdavisforcongress.com/issues
No public positions found.
Healthcare
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.
Sources
https://grutersforcongress.com
Lowering insurance, healthcare, and prescription drug costs by creating an insurance backstop, repeal cuts to Medicare and Medicaid, and allow government to negotiate for lower prescription drug prices.
One in three people in this district depend on Medicaid or Medicare. Read full quote
Protect people with pre-existing conditions, and keep Social Security, Medicare, and Medicaid, the promises they’ve always been – an earned right.
Sources
https://kellykirschner.comArchived copy: https://web.archive.org/web/20260930191112/https://kellykirschner.com
+1 more
• Single-payer healthcare...so you don’t lose everything just because you got sick
Healthcare for all Let’s get real: Republicans have turned healthcare into a horror show. Read full quote
Sources
https://markdavisforcongress.com/more-about-whyArchived copy: https://web.archive.org/web/20261001040630/https://markdavisforcongress.com/more-about-whyhttps://markdavisforcongress.com/issues
No public positions found.
Housing
Sydney will fight to curb overdevelopment and keep homeownership within reach for working families.
Sources
https://grutersforcongress.com
Expand affordable housing and stop Wall Street from buying up single-family homes and gouging renters.
Make sure disaster and insurance dollars reach every community based on need, not zip code or political influence.
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.
Sources
https://kellykirschner.comArchived copy: https://web.archive.org/web/20260930191112/https://kellykirschner.com
+1 more
Working Families Look, first and foremost, let’s not sugarcoat it: the economy is in the toilet. Read full quote
No public positions found.
Immigration
Sydney will work with President Trump and ICE to keep our families safe from violent criminals entering our country illegally.
Sources
https://grutersforcongress.com
No public position found.
Here’s where we cut through the noise. Read full quote
No public positions found.
Infrastructure and transportation
No public position found.
A fully funded, proactive FEMA so that when hurricanes strike, our region isn’t left waiting for help.
Protect Tampa Bay, Sarasota Bay, and our coastline by prohibiting offshore drilling, stopping open-water fish farming, and enforcing the Clean Water Act. Read full quote
Sources
https://kellykirschner.comArchived copy: https://web.archive.org/web/20260930191112/https://kellykirschner.com
No public position found.
No public positions found.
Local control
No public position found.
No public position found.
No public position found.
No public positions found.
National security and foreign policy
No public position found.
Under the Constitution, Congress — and only Congress — has the power to declare war. Read full quote
No more blank checks. No more blind eyes. If it’s worth American blood, it is worth a full, public, and rigorous debate in the halls of Congress.
Sources
https://kellykirschner.comArchived copy: https://web.archive.org/web/20260930191112/https://kellykirschner.com
No public position found.
No public positions found.
Social Security and retirement
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.
Sources
https://grutersforcongress.com
Protect people with pre-existing conditions, and keep Social Security, Medicare, and Medicaid, the promises they’ve always been – an earned right.
“Working families were promised relief eighteen months ago. Read full quote
Sources
https://kellykirschner.comArchived copy: https://web.archive.org/web/20260930191112/https://kellykirschner.comhttps://kellykirschner.com/press/congressional-candidate-kelly-kirschner-raises-over-100000-in-the-first-week-0-from-corporate-pacs/
No public position found.
No public positions found.
Taxes and government spending
Sydney is ready to cut taxes and fight rising costs so working families can afford gas, groceries, and everyday essentials.
Sydney will fight rising prices with conservative solutions that help families keep more of what they earn.
Sources
https://grutersforcongress.com
Tear up the tax breaks that let billionaires pay less than we do.
Close those loopholes and pay down the debt. Put the savings to work for working families instead of offshore accounts.
Congress just raised the national debt — and used the money to hand tax loopholes to corporations that already pay zero in federal taxes. Zero, while our kids and grandkids are handed the bill.
Sources
https://kellykirschner.comArchived copy: https://web.archive.org/web/20260930191112/https://kellykirschner.comhttps://kellykirschner.com/Archived copy: https://web.archive.org/web/20260930191112/https://kellykirschner.com/
+3 more
• Taxing billionaires...because if you can afford a rocket ship, you can afford to pay your fair share
Working Families Look, first and foremost, let’s not sugarcoat it: the economy is in the toilet. Read full quote
Sources
https://markdavisforcongress.com/more-about-whyArchived copy: https://web.archive.org/web/20261001040630/https://markdavisforcongress.com/more-about-whyhttps://markdavisforcongress.com/issues
No public positions found.
Technology and privacy
No public position found.
Make sure the AI revolution — which billionaires like Elon Musk are building with our data and our labor market — works for the middle class, not just for them. Workers deserve protection. Consumers deserve rights.
Workers deserve protection. Consumers deserve rights. The future of this country should not be engineered by a handful of unelected tech oligarchs.
Protect Tampa Bay, Sarasota Bay, and our coastline by prohibiting offshore drilling, stopping open-water fish farming, and enforcing the Clean Water Act. Read full quote
Sources
https://kellykirschner.comArchived copy: https://web.archive.org/web/20260930191112/https://kellykirschner.com
No public position found.
No public positions found.
Veterans
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.
Sources
https://grutersforcongress.com
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. Read full quote
Restore the workforce opportunities our Manasota region lost by supporting nursing, teacher preparation, veterans’ education, workforce training, apprenticeships, and affordable four-year degree pathways. Read full quote
Sources
https://kellykirschner.comArchived copy: https://web.archive.org/web/20260930191112/https://kellykirschner.com
No public position found.
No public positions found.
Coverage differs between candidates because it depends on what each candidate has published. A short list does not mean a candidate has no views.
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Sydney Gruters
Kelly Kirschner
Mark Davis
Sydney Gruters
Visit the campaign site
Connect with Sydney Gruters:
Kelly Kirschner
Kirschner is a third-generation Floridian who holds both a bachelor's and a master's degree from Georgetown University. After leaving city hall, Kirschner spent over a decade working in higher education administration, serving from 2012 to 2025 as the Vice President and Dean of Executive and Continuing Education at Eckerd College.
Campaigning under the slogan "Let's Fix This," Kirschner runs a "people-powered" platform that emphasizes economic consumer protections, environmental defense, and bipartisan governance over corporate special interests.
Visit the campaign site
Connect with Kelly Kirschner:
Mark Davis
Visit the campaign site
Connect with Mark Davis:
Running for
Representative in Congress, District 16
Thinking for yourself matters
Position on major issues
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