Trump Urges RNC Chair’s Wife to Seek Open Florida House Seat and Pledges Endorsement
President Donald Trump used a Truth Social post on Tuesday to urge Sydney Gruters, wife of Republican National Committee Chair and Florida state senator Joe Gruters, to run for Congress in Florida’s 16th Congressional District and promised his “Complete and Total Endorsement” if she enters the race. The seat is open because Republican Rep. Vern Buchanan is not seeking re-election, making any Trump-backed candidate an instant frontrunner in a strongly Republican district. In a statement to Florida Politics cited by Fox News, Sydney Gruters said she was "deeply honored" by Trump’s backing, praised his leadership and said she is focused on lowering the cost of living for families, adding she will announce her plans "very soon." Trump’s post cast her as a “Highly Successful Civic Leader and Public Servant” and laid out a standard MAGA-aligned agenda on taxes, regulations, border security, energy and gun rights that he says she would champion in Congress. The move underscores how Trump is using the bully pulpit and his grip on the RNC to try to shape down-ballot races and potentially steer a safe GOP House seat toward an ally’s family member.
📌 Key Facts
- Trump publicly called on Sydney Gruters to run for Florida’s 16th Congressional District in a March 24, 2026 Truth Social post.
- He pledged his “Complete and Total Endorsement” if she enters the race and urged, “RUN, SYDNEY, RUN!”
- Rep. Vern Buchanan is not seeking re-election in FL-16, leaving an open seat in a Republican-leaning district.
- Sydney Gruters responded that she is honored by Trump’s endorsement and will soon announce her decision on whether to run.
📊 Relevant Data
As of 2022, Florida's 16th Congressional District has a population of 882,786, with racial composition approximately 71.5% White, 17.9% Hispanic or Latino, 6.5% Black, 2.1% Asian, and 1.9% two or more races.
Congressional District 16, FL - Profile data — Census Reporter
Florida's population growth in 2025 was almost entirely due to net migration, with the state welcoming more new residents from overseas than any other state, contributing to overall demographic shifts including increases in Hispanic and foreign-born populations.
Florida relied on immigration for almost all of its population growth in 2025 — WLRN
In Q2 2025, unemployment rates in Florida were 3.4% for White workers, 6.2% for Black workers, and 5.1% for Hispanic workers, compared to the overall rate of 4.2%.
2025 Q2 | State Unemployment by Race and Ethnicity — Economic Policy Institute
New College of Florida underwent a conservative overhaul starting in 2023 under Governor Ron DeSantis, including replacement of leadership, addition of athletic programs, a new mascot, and increased state funding from $35.5 million in 2021 to $66.5 million in 2023.
Two years after a conservative takeover, what New College lost and gained — MassLive
Black student enrollment in Florida's schools of choice increased, with the number of Black parents seeking income-based private school choice scholarships tripling from 14,799 in 2010-11 to 48,208 in 2020-21, amid overall expansion of school choice programs.
Analysis: Black Student Enrollment Is Up in Florida Schools of Choice — The 74
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