The League of Women Voters of Manatee County and the League of Women Voters of the St. Petersburg Area are hosting a virtual candidate forum via Zoom on Wednesday, September 23, 2026, at 12:00 p.m. for candidates running in Congressional District 16.
Recent redistricting has significantly reshaped Florida's Congressional District 16. It now includes all of Manatee, DeSoto, and Hardee counties, as well as parts of Pinellas, Sarasota, and Polk counties. The League has been working diligently to reach voters in these newly added areas to ensure that all voters have access to reliable, nonpartisan information.
The candidate forum will allow voters to hear directly from candidates Mark Davis (NPA), Sydney Gruters (R), and Kelly Kirschner (D) about the issues that matter most to voters in US Congressional District 16 ahead of the upcoming election on Nov. 3, 2026.
Registration to attend this virtual forum is required. Members of the public and the press interested in attending must register here. The forum is free and open to the public. The event will be recorded by the League. Other than registered press, no other recordings will be allowed.
Trevor Pettiford, veteran journalist and member of the Tampa Bay Association of Black Journalists, will guide the discussion. Candidates will answer questions developed by the League of Women Voters, along with questions received from the public by Sept. 16. 2026. Constituents who would like to ask the candidates questions can submit them for consideration by filling out this form.
All candidate forums sponsored by the League of Women Voters follow a nonpartisan, unbiased, and impartial format, in keeping with League principles.
For more information, please email info@lwvmanatee.org.
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