Sydney Gruters

Gruters is a native Floridian and a working mother of three, according to her campaign website.[2] She worked for more than a decade in Washington, D.C., and Manatee County for Rep. Vern Buchanan, whose seat she sought.[2][3] In 2017 President Trump appointed her State Director for Florida and the U.S. Virgin Islands at the U.S. Department of Agriculture's Rural Development agency, according to her campaign website.[2] After Rep. Greg Steube's 2018 election she served as his district director.[2][3]

Gruters most recently served as vice president of advancement and executive director of the New College Foundation, per her campaign website and WGCU.[2][3] She is married to Joe Gruters, a Florida state senator and chairman of the Republican National Committee, according to her campaign website and WGCU.[2][3] WGCU reports that this is her first bid for elected office.[3] She won the August 18, 2026 Republican primary with 63.6% of the vote over Eddie Speir and Ed Pope.[5] Her campaign materials emphasized lowering costs, border security and election security.[2][3] She won the November 3, 2026 general election with 51.2% of the vote to Kelly Kirschner's 47%, according to unofficial results reported by NBC News.[1]