Sydney Gruters makes clear she will run in CD 16 under proposed congressional map

Republican congressional candidate Sydney Gruters plans to run in Florida’s 16th Congressional District under a map proposed by Gov. Ron DeSantis.

While she technically lives outside the current CD 16, she would reside within the lines on the new map. Under the proposed lines, 47% of CD 16 is made up of communities not currently in that district.

“My career has been built around serving the people of Southwest Florida,” Gruters said.

“I have worked with families, seniors, veterans, small business owners, agricultural communities, and local leaders across this region. I know the challenges they face because I have spent years helping them solve problems. This campaign is about making sure the people of this district have a strong voice, a steady hand, and someone who will fight for them every day.”

Gruters has notably worked for the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) and for both retiring U.S. Rep. Vern Buchanan, a Longboat Key Republican, and U.S. Rep. Greg Steube, a Sarasota Republican. Steube is expected to run on the new map in Florida’s 17th Congressional District.

It appears Gruters will now stress her work on agriculture issues, as the district now includes more rural areas in Hardee and DeSoto counties.

Her campaign in a statement noted that she was appointed by President Donald Trump to help lead rural development efforts for Florida and the U.S. Virgin Islands at USDA.

Notably, the map becomes a more competitive one under the new proposed cartography, adding portions of south Pinellas County now represented by U.S. Rep. Kathy Castor, a Tampa Democrat. While Gruters’ campaign suggested they are ready to face an incumbent if necessary, Castor is expected to run in Florida’s 14th Congressional District under the new map, though she has declined to announce where she runs until the legality of a new map is settled in court.

Gruters, of course, brings abundant resources into the race. She raised her first $100,000 for her campaign within hours of announcing, and entered with Trump’s endorsement. She is also married to Republican National Committee Chair Joe Gruters.

Her campaign noted she has done public work in five of six counties covered by the new congressional district. She now intends to earn “support across every part of the district, including Pinellas families facing the same affordability, housing, insurance, and cost-of-living pressures felt by families across Florida.”

More than 56% of voters in the proposed CD 16 lines supported Trump over Democrat Kamala Harris in the 2024 Presidential Election.