Sydney Gruters, wife of Republican National Committee Chair and state Sen. Joe Gruters, announced Thursday that she is filing to run for the Florida Congressional District 16 seat that will be vacated by Republican Vern Buchanan later this year.
Her announcement comes after President Donald Trump endorsed her in the contest last week.
“As a working mother of three, I see firsthand how much pressure rising prices are putting on families across Southwest Florida,” Gruters said in a press release. “From groceries and gas to housing and insurance, too many families, seniors, and veterans are being stretched thin. I’m running for Congress to protect our conservative values, fight for the people of this district, and give them a strong voice in Washington.”
Ms. Gruters is not a newcomer to the political process. She recently stepped down as executive director of the New College Foundation in Sarasota and has previously served as a legislative aide to both Buchanan and U.S. Rep. Greg Steube.
“Word is that Sydney Gruters, the wife of our GREAT Chairman of the Republican National Committee, Joe Gruters, is considering launching her Campaign for Congress in Florida’s 16th Congressional District!” Trump said in a statement issued on his Truth Social page on March 24. “Should she decide to enter this Race, Sydney Gruters has my Complete and Total Endorsement. RUN, SYDNEY, RUN.”
In addition to Trump, Maggie’s List, a federal political action committee dedicated to electing conservative women, also backs Gruters.
“Sydney Gruters has proven her mettle by working on the frontline for congressional members in the past as well as her community involvement with various causes including New College Foundation,” said Maggie’s List Chair Sandra Mortham. “She will be the People’s Congresswoman, making sure that she represents her constituents first and foremost.”
Florida’s District 16 seat encompasses Manatee and parts of Hillsborough and Sarasota counties. It’s been represented by Buchanan for nearly 20 years, but he announced in January that he would step down from Congress at the end of his term later this year.
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