Kelly Kirschner

Kirschner is a third-generation Floridian who, according to his campaign website, grew up near the Sarasota-Bradenton airport and worked after school and on weekends at his family's fruit stand, Blue Heron Fruit Shippers.[4] He graduated from Cardinal Mooney Catholic High School and from Georgetown University in 1998.[2][4] His campaign website says he earned bachelor's and master's degrees at Georgetown on a full scholarship, working as manager of the men's basketball team.[4] He then joined the Peace Corps in 1999 and served in northern Guatemala, where he says he helped Mayan farming families reach new markets.[4]

Kirschner worked in sales at Bio-Pro Research in Manatee County, according to WGCU, which also reports that he later served as a vice president at Eckerd College; his campaign site says he led executive leadership development and lifelong learning programs there.[3][4] He also founded a nonprofit, UnidosNow according to his campaign website, that he says has helped more than 1,000 first-generation students gain debt-free admission to universities.[2][4]

Kirschner won a seat on the Sarasota City Commission, which WGCU reports made him the youngest commissioner in the city's history, and later served as mayor of Sarasota.[3] His campaign site says he first won by defeating an incumbent with 75% of the vote after organizing residents against a proposed ten-story condominium project.[4] He says he led passage of local campaign finance reforms approved by more than 80% of voters, pushed Florida Power & Light for resident concessions, and exposed a lease at the Marina Jacks marina that he says cost taxpayers money.[2][4] He describes himself as a single father of two.[2][4] Kirschner won the August 18, 2026 Democratic primary for the open seat with 43.3% of the vote in a five-candidate field.[2] During the campaign, he said he was running on lowering costs, defending health care and ending price gouging by oil, utility and grocery companies.[2][4][3] He received 47% of the vote to Sydney Gruters's 51.2%, according to unofficial results reported by NBC News.[1]