Sydney Gruters, the wife of Republican National Committee Chair Joe Gruters, has announced her candidacy for Florida’s 16th Congressional District seat to succeed Rep. Vern Buchanan, who will vacate his position later this year.
Gruters, executive director of the New College Foundation, aims to replace Buchanan in the district that President Donald Trump won by 16 points in the 2024 presidential election. She is the only candidate to have officially entered the race.
According to Politico, Gruters has spent her career working for U.S. House members and served as a mentee of Rep. Buchanan. Last month, President Trump endorsed Buchanan ahead of Gruters’ campaign announcement.
In a statement, Gruters said: “I’ve spent my career helping people solve problems and get results.”
She added: “Southwest Florida deserves a representative who understands this community, shares its values, and will fight every day to lower the cost of living, expand opportunity, and build a stronger future for our families.”
Former Florida Senate President Bill Galvano, who has endorsed Gruters, stated: “There’s just a genuine respect — and that’s why you don’t have a bunch of challengers. This isn’t a question of whether you can beat her. It’s a question of, ‘Is this a good person to fill this role?’ And the resounding reaction has been ‘Yes.’”
During the first Trump administration, Gruters worked as rural development state director for Florida and the U.S. Virgin Islands in the U.S. Department of Agriculture. She also served as district director for Rep. Greg Steube.
Since joining the New College Foundation, she has increased the school’s assets from $39 million to $54 million, according to New College President Richard Corcoran. Corcoran remarked: “She knows what she believes and is going to fight to the nth degree for those things — but she will do it in a way that’s kind. I’ll be 100% devastated that she’s leaving. And I’ll be 100% behind her.”
Manatee County Democratic Party Chair Christine Kennedy Meier characterized Gruters as a “Trump rubber stamp” who “helped dismantle higher education in Sarasota,” noting that voters in the district are prepared for “a breath of fresh air and something new.” Meier added: “It’s a consolidation of power through backroom deals and covert conversations that strip the power away from the people.”
The Cook Political Report rates the seat as Solid Republican.
