TAMPA, Fla. — Congressman Vern Buchanan announced he will be retiring at the end of his term after serving in Congress for 20 years. Three candidates are competing to replace him in Florida's 16th Congressional District.
Democrat Kelly Kirschner is a third-generation Floridian. He previously served in the Peace Corps helping Mayan farming families increase their household income, according to his campaign website.
He also served on the Sarasota City Commission including one term as mayor.
Tampa Bay 28 caught up with him at a campaign event in Bradenton where he met with voters in the Latino community.
"I’ve lived in Central America for over four years and I’m fluent in Spanish," said Kirschner.
He said his priorities include healthcare, lowering the cost of living, protecting the Gulf Coast, building an affordable economy, veterans and ending what he calls "wars of choice."
"48% of the population living paycheck to paycheck, we have to address that. We need to get out of Iran. We need to figure out how do we have affordable healthcare for our entire population," he said.
Kirscher faces Republican candidate Sydney Gruters. She's the wife of the Republican National Committee Chair Joe Gruters.
Sydney spoke at a rally in Lakeland for Vice President JD Vance in October.
"No matter where we go, we hear the same thing, the residents of this district and in Florida want to keep Florida safe, affordable and free," said Gruters at a rally.
According to her website, she previously worked for Congressman Greg Steube in 2018. She has more than a decade of experience working in Washington, D.C.
She's been endorsed by President Donald Trump. Her campaign website lists cost of living, inflation, border security, and housing costs among her priorities.
A third candidate is also in the running. Mark Davis is running without party affiliation. He's a veteran and small business owner, according to his website.
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