2026 Elections · Florida

Florida's 16th Congressional District Candidates 2026

See every declared 2026 U.S. House candidate running in this Florida congressional district, with FEC campaign finance and where they stand on the issues.

Source:FECUpdated Oct 19, 2026Report a correction

Who is running in Florida's 16th Congressional District in 2026?

Sydney Gruters (Republican), Kelly Kirschner (Democratic) and Mark Davis (Independent).

  • Sydney GrutersRepublican✓ Verified
    $1.6M raised
    • Official FEC
    • Positions sourced
  • Kelly KirschnerDemocratic✓ Verified
    $752K raised
    • Official FEC
    • Positions sourced
  • Mark DavisIndependent✓ Verified
    $64K raised
    • Official FEC
    • Positions sourced

Where they stand

Sources under every entry. Sentences are AI-written from the linked source.

Where they differ: Mark Davis supports policies that lift everyday Floridians rather than benefiting billionaires and advocates for universal healthcare, opposing the current employer-based system 14. Kelly Kirschner supports lowering the cost of living by reducing insurance and healthcare costs and proposes holding employers accountable for undocumented labor on job sites 28. Sydney Gruters supports cutting taxes to help working families and will work with President Trump and ICE to secure the border and keep families safe from violent criminals entering illegally 39.
AI-written comparison of the sourced entries below. Generated Oct 19, 2026.

Where the candidates stand, by issue
IssueSydney GrutersRepublicanKelly KirschnerDemocraticMark DavisIndependent
Economy & Jobs

Sydney Gruters supports cutting taxes and fighting rising costs to help working families afford essentials and keep more of what they earn.

Candidate's own wordsSource ↗Verified Oct 17, 2026AI-written

Kirschner supports lowering the cost of living by reducing insurance, healthcare, and prescription drug costs, expanding affordable housing, and protecting Social Security, Medicare, and Medicaid.

Candidate's own wordsSource ↗Verified Oct 19, 2026AI-written

Davis supports policies that lift everyday Floridians up rather than benefiting billionaires, criticizing rising rents, stagnant wages, and increasing taxes.

Candidate's own wordsSource ↗Verified Oct 18, 2026AI-written

Where they differ on Economy & Jobs: Mark Davis supports policies aimed at lifting everyday Floridians rather than benefiting billionaires, and he criticizes rising rents, stagnant wages, and increasing taxes 1. Kelly Kirschner supports lowering the cost of living by reducing insurance, healthcare, and prescription drug costs, expanding affordable housing, and protecting Social Security, Medicare, and Medicaid 2. Sydney Gruters supports cutting taxes and fighting rising costs to help working families afford essentials and keep more of what they earn 3.
Healthcare

No public position found. Check their site ↗

Kirschner supports protecting and restoring Medicare and Medicaid, ensuring coverage for patients with pre-existing conditions, and opposing cuts to healthcare programs.

Candidate's own wordsSource ↗Verified Oct 19, 2026AI-written

Davis supports universal healthcare as common sense and opposes the current employer-based, profit-driven system that fails to cover everyone adequately.

Candidate's own wordsSource ↗Verified Oct 18, 2026AI-written

Davis says he witnessed corruption in the healthcare system firsthand and is campaigning to make healthcare affordable for working families.

ReportedSource ↗Verified Oct 8, 2026AI-written

Where they differ on Healthcare: Mark Davis supports universal healthcare and opposes the current employer-based, profit-driven system that fails to cover everyone adequately 1. He also says he witnessed corruption in the healthcare system firsthand and is campaigning to make healthcare affordable for working families 2. Kelly Kirschner supports protecting and restoring Medicare and Medicaid, ensuring coverage for patients with pre-existing conditions, and opposing cuts to healthcare programs 3.
Immigration

Sydney Gruters will work with President Trump and ICE to secure the border and keep families safe from violent criminals entering the country illegally.

Candidate's own wordsSource ↗Verified Oct 17, 2026AI-written

Gruters cites high undocumented immigration under the previous administration and emphasizes community safety.

ReportedSource ↗Verified Oct 8, 2026AI-written

Kirschner proposes a national system holding employers, not just subcontractors, accountable when undocumented labor is used on their job sites.

ReportedSource ↗Verified Oct 8, 2026AI-written

Davis opposes fear-based immigration policies and supports addressing immigration and crime with smart policies that respect liberty without militarizing streets.

Candidate's own wordsSource ↗Verified Oct 18, 2026AI-written

Where they differ on Immigration: Mark Davis opposes fear-based immigration policies and supports addressing immigration and crime with smart policies that respect liberty without militarizing streets 1. Kelly Kirschner proposes a national system holding employers, not just subcontractors, accountable when undocumented labor is used on their job sites 2. Sydney Gruters will work with President Trump and ICE to secure the border and keep families safe from violent criminals entering the country illegally 3. Gruters also cites high undocumented immigration under the previous administration and emphasizes community safety 4.
Public Safety & Crime

No public position found. Check their site ↗

Kirschner emphasizes government accountability and fighting corruption to ensure government works for the people, not special interests, to protect free enterprise and democracy.

Candidate's own wordsSource ↗Verified Oct 19, 2026AI-written

Davis advocates for common sense gun policies to protect public safety and opposes unregulated guns flooding neighborhoods.

Candidate's own wordsSource ↗Verified Oct 18, 2026AI-written

Where they differ on Public Safety & Crime: Mark Davis advocates for common sense gun policies to protect public safety and opposes unregulated guns flooding neighborhoods 1. Kelly Kirschner emphasizes government accountability and fighting corruption to ensure government works for the people, not special interests, to protect free enterprise and democracy 2.
Abortion

No public position found. Check their site ↗

No public position found. Check their site ↗

Davis supports protecting reproductive freedom and opposes government forcing women into childbirth.

Candidate's own wordsSource ↗Verified Oct 18, 2026AI-written

Taxes & Government Spending

Sydney Gruters supports cutting taxes and regulations to lower the cost of living and protect affordability for families.

Candidate's own wordsSource ↗Verified Oct 17, 2026AI-written

No public position found. Check their site ↗

No public position found. Check their site ↗

Energy & Environment

No public position found. Check their site ↗

Kirschner supports protecting the Gulf Coast environment by prohibiting offshore drilling, stopping open-water fish farming, enforcing the Clean Water Act, and investing in conservation and clean energy.

Candidate's own wordsSource ↗Verified Oct 19, 2026AI-written

No public position found. Check their site ↗

Foreign Policy & Defense

No public position found. Check their site ↗

Kirschner opposes continued war spending in Iran, saying it has cost roughly $100 billion while domestic disaster recovery funding lags.

ReportedSource ↗Verified Oct 8, 2026AI-written

No public position found. Check their site ↗

Common questions

When is the election?

The general election is on November 3, 2026.

How do the candidates differ on Economy & Jobs?

Mark Davis supports policies aimed at lifting everyday Floridians rather than benefiting billionaires, and he criticizes rising rents, stagnant wages, and increasing taxes. Kelly Kirschner supports lowering the cost of living by reducing insurance, healthcare, and prescription drug costs, expanding affordable housing, and protecting Social Security, Medicare, and Medicaid. Sydney Gruters supports cutting taxes and fighting rising costs to help working families afford essentials and keep more of what they earn.

How do the candidates differ on Healthcare?

Mark Davis supports universal healthcare and opposes the current employer-based, profit-driven system that fails to cover everyone adequately. He also says he witnessed corruption in the healthcare system firsthand and is campaigning to make healthcare affordable for working families. Kelly Kirschner supports protecting and restoring Medicare and Medicaid, ensuring coverage for patients with pre-existing conditions, and opposing cuts to healthcare programs.

How do the candidates differ on Immigration?

Mark Davis opposes fear-based immigration policies and supports addressing immigration and crime with smart policies that respect liberty without militarizing streets. Kelly Kirschner proposes a national system holding employers, not just subcontractors, accountable when undocumented labor is used on their job sites. Sydney Gruters will work with President Trump and ICE to secure the border and keep families safe from violent criminals entering the country illegally. Gruters also cites high undocumented immigration under the previous administration and emphasizes community safety.

How do the candidates differ on Public Safety & Crime?

Mark Davis advocates for common sense gun policies to protect public safety and opposes unregulated guns flooding neighborhoods. Kelly Kirschner emphasizes government accountability and fighting corruption to ensure government works for the people, not special interests, to protect free enterprise and democracy.