Kelly Kirschner
Kelly Kirschner served on the Sarasota City Commission and as mayor of Sarasota, worked in higher-education leadership at Eckerd College, and co-founded the nonprofit UnidosNow, which he says has helped more than 1,000 first-generation students earn scholarships. He entered the open CD 16 race in May 2026 and won the Aug. 18, 2026 Democratic primary with about 43.8% of the vote over Tamika Lyles (19.4%), Jonathan Harris, Glenn Pearson and Jan Schneider.
How they got on the ballot: Won Aug 18, 2026 Democratic primary with ~43.8% over Lyles (~19.4%), Harris, Pearson and Schneider (Spectrum News 13; Yahoo/Herald-Tribune)
Positions on the major issues
Compare with opponents →Each entry describes what the candidate has said or done, and what they say they will do, in neutral terms with sources. The chip shows how that relates to the statement voters rate in the matching tool.
Taxes & spending Leans disagree· stated position
Kirschner says billionaires, lobbyists and corporations 'have treated Congress like a vending machine' with the result that ordinary people 'pay more for groceries, prescriptions and rent while they pay less in taxes'; he has not made tax cuts a priority.
Immigration Leans disagree· stated position
Kirschner argues the district's economy was built on immigrant labor and that politicians such as Rick Scott and Donald Trump made that population 'a political target'; he cites CBO estimates that the U.S. needs 1.2-1.5 million new immigrants a year for economic growth and Social Security/Medicare solvency. He co-founded an immigrant-integration nonprofit. No statement on specific enforcement measures was found.
Health care Strongly agrees· stated position
Kirschner says he is running to 'defend health care': protecting patients with pre-existing conditions, restoring cuts to Medicaid and Medicare, and expanding access to affordable health care.
Environment & water Leans agree· stated position
Campaign materials prioritize water-quality protection and addressing 'unchecked development'; endorsed by the Democratic Environmental Caucus of Florida.
Trump administration Leans disagree· stated position
Says working families 'were promised relief eighteen months ago but instead got higher rent, higher insurance, higher gasoline, and higher grocery bills,' and criticizes Donald Trump and Rick Scott for targeting immigrants.
No public position found on 12 issues
We searched campaign sites, questionnaires, interviews, votes and official actions and did not find a clear stance on: Housing affordability, Abortion, Guns, Social Security & Medicare, Education & school choice, Elections & voting, Crime & policing, Gender identity laws, Energy & utilities, Tariffs & trade, Ukraine, Veterans. This is reported as unknown rather than guessed from party affiliation; these issues are excluded from this candidate's match score.
Positions on issues outside this office's scope (2)
Property insurance Leans agree· stated position
Cites a 78% rise in Florida property-insurance costs over three years and proposes a national catastrophic reinsurance fund to stabilize the market, plus a fully funded FEMA and 'affordable home and flood insurance.' The proposal is a federal backstop rather than a state rate cap.
Growth & development Leans agree· stated position
Says the region faces unchecked development and that protecting water quality should be a priority.
Other issues this candidate has raised
- Campaign-finance reform / no corporate PAC money — Says he takes no corporate PAC contributions and wants to end the influence of billionaires and lobbyists on Congress.
- War powers — Calls for an end to the 'blank check' era of foreign wars and pledges to hold Congress to its constitutional duty to declare war.
- FEMA funding and hurricane relief — Platform calls for a fully funded FEMA for hurricane relief.
- National catastrophic reinsurance fund — Proposes a federal catastrophic natural-disaster reinsurance fund to stabilize property-insurance markets.
Record: votes, actions and documented facts
- Reported more than $100,000 raised in his first week and $224,000 in his first quarter as a candidate.
Endorsements (as reported)
- Florida AFL-CIO
- West Central Florida Labor Council
- Democratic Environmental Caucus of Florida
- Florida LGBTQ+ Democratic Caucus