Ralph Groves
Groves holds a Doctor of Arts degree in history from St. John's University. He is a U.S. Army veteran who served in Germany and in the Iraq War and retired at the rank of major, then worked as a Department of Defense analyst in the United Kingdom and at the Pentagon; he is now retired. He says he has been active in the right-to-life movement since before 1973 and ran for Congress in New York in 1982 on the Conservative Party line with the Right to Life Party's endorsement. He lives in Ocoee, is married with five children and three grandchildren, and previously chaired the Libertarian Party of Orange County. As the only Libertarian to file, he advanced directly to the Nov. 3, 2026 general election without a primary. He says he is running to give voters a third option because many people who want more personal freedom and less government vote for the two major parties only because they do not believe a third party can win.
How they got on the ballot: No primary; sole Libertarian candidate, advanced directly to Nov 3 general election (Ballotpedia)
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 Strongly agrees· stated position
Groves calls for reducing federal taxes to stimulate the economy, saying lower taxes will increase spending power, spur competition and eventually reduce prices, and that lower taxes and decreased regulation will spur job growth in Florida.
"call for reduction of Federal taxes to stimulate the economy"
Immigration Mixed / neutral· stated position
Groves advocates legal, regulated immigration from Latin America and elsewhere (noting his mother was a legal immigrant from Lebanon), saying it boosts the economy and population, while 'illegal and unregulated migration stresses our communities, hospitals, and schools.' He wants simplified, reasonable immigration processes. No statement on deportation or enforcement levels was found, so this is coded as mixed.
"illegal and unregulated migration stresses our communities, hospitals, and schools"
Abortion Leans disagree· stated position
Groves identifies as pro-life and says he has been active in the right-to-life movement since before Roe v. Wade; in 1982 he ran for Congress in New York with the Right to Life Party's endorsement. He says that 'in extreme cases' abortion should be decided by women and their doctors rather than government, and that government should be excluded from abortion, including no government funding for Planned Parenthood. He applauds President Trump's pardons of jailed anti-abortion protesters. No statement on Florida's six-week law was found.
"In extreme cases, abortion should be decided by women and their doctors, not government"
Guns Leans disagree· stated position
Groves is a gun owner and a member of Gun Owners of America and says self-defense is a natural right. He argues gun confiscation cannot be accomplished because it would provoke civil disobedience and police would refuse to carry it out. No statement on red-flag laws, the purchase age or background checks was found.
"Self-defense is a natural right. This right is codified in the 2nd Amendment."
Social Security & Medicare Leans agree· stated position
He says that in Washington he 'will uphold Social Security and Medicare.' He simultaneously calls for lower federal taxes and does not say how the programs would be financed.
"will uphold Social Security and Medicare"
Education & school choice Strongly agrees· stated position
Groves applauds the abolition of the federal Department of Education, says each state should manage education without federal regulation, and says parents should have a broad range of options including a voucher system and homeschooling.
Environment & water Leans agree· stated position
Groves says he would advocate for more Environmental Protection Agency safe-drinking-water grants. No statement on conservation land or development trade-offs was found.
Energy & utilities Leans disagree· stated position
He says the U.S. will depend on fossil fuels for the proximate future and that increasing fossil-fuel output will lower transport costs and the prices of petrochemical-based products. No statement on renewable energy or utility-rate oversight was found.
"For the proximate future, the U.S. will depend on fossil fuels."
Ukraine Leans disagree· stated position
Groves calls for an immediate cease-fire with mediated peace talks and opposes deepening U.S. support for Ukraine, preferring that European allies do more to counter Russian aggression. He backs 'Defend the Guard' efforts to keep the Florida National Guard from being deployed overseas, but supports increased funding for U.S. defense industries to restock the military equipment sent to Ukraine.
"He calls for an immediate cease-fire with mediated peace talks, and opposes deepening of U.S. support for Ukraine."
Veterans Leans agree· stated position
As an Iraq War veteran, Groves says he is dedicated to ensuring military personnel's needs are met through the Veterans Administration. He also supports increased Coast Guard funding. No specific VA expansion proposal was found.
No public position found on 7 issues
We searched campaign sites, questionnaires, interviews, votes and official actions and did not find a clear stance on: Housing affordability, Health care, Elections & voting, Crime & policing, Gender identity laws, Tariffs & trade, Trump administration. This is reported as unknown rather than guessed from party affiliation; these issues are excluded from this candidate's match score.
Trump administration: No overall position on the Trump administration found as of Sept 2026. Groves applauds President Trump's pardons of jailed anti-abortion protesters and the abolition of the federal Department of Education, but sources found contain no general assessment of the administration.
Other issues this candidate has raised
- Prevent future vaccine mandates — He says he would work to prevent any future vaccine mandates.
- Increase Coast Guard funding — He supports increased funding for the U.S. Coast Guard.
- EPA safe-drinking-water grants — He would advocate for more EPA safe-drinking-water grants for communities.
- More personal freedom, less government — His campaign message is that voters want more personal freedom and a smaller government and deserve a viable third option.
- 'Defend the Guard' / no overseas Guard deployments — He supports keeping the Florida National Guard at home rather than allowing federal deployment to Ukraine or other overseas locations, while backing more funding for defense industries to restock U.S. military equipment.
- Abolish federal Department of Education — He applauds abolition of the federal Department of Education and wants states to run education without federal regulation.
- No government funding for Planned Parenthood — He says government should be excluded from abortion, which he says means no government funding for Planned Parenthood.
- Reduce federal regulation — He says decreased regulation, along with lower taxes, will spur job growth and economic development in Florida.
Record: votes, actions and documented facts
- Former chairman of the Libertarian Party of Orange County.
- Retired from the U.S. Army as a major after service in Germany and the Iraq War; later a DoD analyst in the U.K. and at the Pentagon (campaign biography).
- Ran for Congress in New York in 1982 on the Conservative Party line with the endorsement of the New York State Right to Life Party (campaign position paper).
- Registered with the FEC as a candidate for Florida's 11th District in the 2024 cycle (candidate ID H4FL11089).
- Holds a Doctor of Arts degree in history from St. John's University; lives in Ocoee (Libertarian Party of Florida candidate page).
- Defense Intelligence Agency analyst 1999-2015 at RAF Molesworth, England, and 2015-2018 at the Pentagon; retired from the Army Reserve as a major in 2010; lives in Ocoee with his wife and family (campaign site).