U.S. House · Florida's 5th District
Rachel Grage
CandidateD
- Race
- U.S. House · Florida's 5th District
- Result
- John Rutherford, projected winner
- Opponents
- John Rutherford (R); William Upham (IND)
- Research
- Basic
Party linenone
No recorded floor votes — not a current legislator in our records.
Said vs. did0 statements · 0 votes
Rachel Grage, a Democratic engineer and health care professional, lost the November 3, 2026 election for Florida's 5th Congressional District to John Rutherford. She is a mother of four with engineering degrees from Tulane University, and she ran for the Florida House in 2024.[1][2][3]
On the ballotU.S. House · 5
2026-11-03
| John Rutherford R | incumbent |
| Rachel Grage D | challenger |
| William Upham IND | challenger |
Won the August 18, 2026 Democratic primary over Alexander Hazen and Mark Heggestad.
Biography
Rachel Grage, a Democratic engineer and health care professional, lost the November 3, 2026 election for Florida's 5th Congressional District to John Rutherford. She is a mother of four with engineering degrees from Tulane University, and she ran for the Florida House in 2024.[1][2][3]
Basic profile — the most important sourced facts we found.
Grage was born in Oswego, New York, and earned bachelor's and master's degrees in engineering from Tulane University. She worked as a biomedical engineer focused on improving health outcomes.[3]
Grage has been affiliated with Catholic Charities, Equality Florida, and the Democratic Women's Club of Florida, and says she has advocated on issues affecting Florida families.[3] In 2024 she was the Democratic nominee for Florida House District 16 and lost to incumbent Kiyan Michael, 39.3% to 60.7%.[3] On August 18, 2026, she won the Democratic primary for the 5th District with 65.1% of the vote against Alexander Hazen and Mark Heggestad.[3] During the campaign, she emphasized affordability, accountability, and protecting individual rights.[2][3] She received 43.6% of the vote to John Rutherford's 56.4%, according to unofficial results reported by NBC News.[1]
In their own words
Priorities
Statements, quoted without a stance
- Expand public health coverage
“Work to keep healthcare premiums and prescription costs affordable, maintain federal cost-sharing supports, and stabilize home insurance.”[5]
On her campaign website, under "Lower Costs & Strengthen the Middle Class"
- Expand immigration enforcement and deportations
“Ensure America's borders are secure through smart, efficient enforcement, while maintaining a fair and humane immigration system that respects due process.”[5]
On her campaign website, under "Secure Borders & Fair Immigration"
Campaign money$272K raised · 100% from individuals · FEC through 2026-07-29
Totals this cycle
Bars share one scale (raised = full). Cash on hand can include money carried over from earlier cycles.
Who gave
- Individuals $271K
- Own money & loans $1,196
Largest committee contributions
No direct contributions from PACs or other committees in the FEC’s bulk data.
Direct contributions only; outside spending is not included. Individual donors are itemized in the FEC’s receipts. All itemized receipts ↗ FEC filing ↗
Profile: /people/rachel-grage
Compare all 3 candidates side by side ›
Sources cited in this profile
- 1.U.S. House · Florida's 5th District results 2026 · NBC News News report
- 2.Florida's 5th Congressional District election, 2026 · Ballotpedia · 2026-09-25 Reference
- 3.Rachel Grage - Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey · Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey · 2026-09-25 Candidate's own words
- 4.Rachel Grage - Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey · Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey · 2026-09-25 Candidate's own words
- 5.Rachel Grage for Congress · Rachel Grage for Congress · 2026-10-19 Candidate's own words