Republican Sydney Gruters wins District 16 seat to replace Vern Buchanan

Sydney Gruters secured the District 16 seat to replace retiring Representative Vern Buchanan, according to WUSF. The district includes parts of Sarasota and Manatee counties, areas near Tampa Bay.

Gruters, a working mother of three and former executive director of the New College Foundation in Sarasota, significantly outraised her opponent, Democrat Kelly Kirschner, raising about $1.6 million compared to Kirschner's amount, Ballotpedia reported.

Gruters did not participate in debates or respond to voter guide questions from WUSF or Ballotpedia. Her campaign highlighted issues such as border security, lowering costs through conservative solutions, and strengthening veterans’ benefits. She was endorsed by prominent Republicans including Governor Ron DeSantis and Senator Rick Scott, as well as local police and fire unions and county sheriffs.

Kirschner, a former Sarasota mayor and Peace Corps volunteer, received endorsements from the Florida Education Association, Florida AFL-CIO, and the Democratic Environmental Caucus of Florida, as well as some Republicans like former Congressman Dan Miller and Manatee County Commissioner George Kruse.

The campaign saw criticism over an ad by Gruters' side that used AI-generated imagery portraying Kirschner negatively, which Kirschner and his allies contested. The Bradenton Times noted this ad was part of a large spending effort to label Kirschner as a 'radical extremist.'