Five Democratic candidates will vie for their party’s line on the November ballot for Congressional District 16.
There’s a highly contentious open-seat race in Congressional District 16 drawing a lot of attention after incumbent U.S. Rep. Vern Buchanan, R-Longboat Key, decided not to seek another term.
Under Gov. Ron DeSantis’ new congressional map, the revised Congressional District 16 incorporates southwestern Polk County for the first time, including Mulberry and Fort Meade, but also parts of Sarasota, Pinellas, DeSoto and Hardee counties.
Here’s a brief overview of the five Democratic candidates that voters will have to choose from in the Aug. 18 primary:
Jon Harris
Harris, 40, of Riverview has launched his first political campaign after being disappointed in the 2024 election. The candidate said he didn’t see Trump’s win coming and learned many of his usually ballot-casting peers didn’t go to the polls.
“They didn’t see themselves in any of the people on the ballot. They felt the person on top of the ballot was forced upon them,” he said. “We’ve got to start getting people our age on the ballot. People who have a personally vested interest and not just propped up by the institution or party with, ‘Here’s who you are going to vote for.'”
Harris has been enlisted in the U.S. Army for more than 20 years, started as an infantryman rising to his current rank as a chief warrant officer. Currently, he is a senior information security adviser for U.S. Special Operations Command, according to his campaign website.
“What I bring to the table is my history in national security and service,” he said. “I work with the most complex organization in our nation as a special operations command. I can navigate federal nuances or the complexity of the environment, navigate federal channels and accomplish goals.”
Harris said as a father raising a family with young children under age 10, he is personally aware of the current economic struggles as costs of new homes, home insurance, groceries, gas and other essentials increase.
One of the main tenets of Harris’ platform is reforming the country’s health care system. Harris has drafted a 98-page paper for an American Choice Health Plan, which aims to establish a Medicare-style public option designed to compete with private insurers and drive down costs. Harris calls for transparency in hospital and drug pricing, negotiating down prescription drug prices and cracking down on algorithmic discrimination by health care insurers using AI tools.
Harris said he believes the overturning of Roe v. Wade by the Supreme Cort was a “gross misstep” despite his strong Christian values.
“These decisions can’t be made by me and my faith, we have to govern on behalf of all people,” Harris said. “There are medical events that necessitate these types of operation. I will not stand in the way of someone getting the treatment they deserve and may need to save their life.”
Kelly Kirschner
A third-generation native Floridan, Kirschner, 51, is the vice president and dean of Eckerd College in St. Petersburg, splitting his residential time in Sarasota.
Kirschner is a former U.S. Peace Corps volunteer and founded a nonprofit called UnidosNow helping first-generation students get into university, graduating largely debt free, according to his campaign website.
Kirschner may be familiar to voters as a former commissioner and mayor in Sarasota from 2007 to 2011.
“I’m the only candidate in the entire race, Republican, Democrat or Independent, with any elected experience. I know how to build a coalition of voters, ” he said.
Kirschner said economic issues are at the forefront of his campaign, acknowledging that families — including him as a single, working father — are strongly concerned about a strong, stable income to be able to afford basic necessities and a future education for their children. There are concerns about the future generation’s opportunities being constrained by growing use of artificial technology.
“My generation and the one I’m raising are feeling those constraints of AI, and Congress is not serious about addressing the issue, being pragmatic or working together,” he said. “I’ve shown what I can do, be successful and be accountable to represent those urgent needs of the voters.”
Kirschner said as Sarasota’s mayor, he successfully led a campaign for local campaign finance reform aimed at curbing the influence of special interests, a measure ultimately approved by 83% of voters. It was later overturned by the Supreme Court’s decision in Citizens United v. Federal Election Commission granting corporations the ability to spend on campaigns as a measure of freedom of speech. Kirschner said it’s critical to get money out of politics.
“Part of that is Day 1 restoring trust in Congress,” he said. “I will co-sponsor legislation immediately to stop every member of Congress from trading stock while in Congress and their immediate family members.”
Kirschner said he will work and actively campaign to get the Citizens United decision overturned in order to change Congress and Washington, D.C.
Tamika Lyles
Polk County resident Tamika Lyles, 51, has thrown her hat in the ring looking for the Democratic nomination. A U.S. Air Force veteran, Lyles is a single, working mom and was a school teacher of U.S. and world history. She now teaches about civic engagement at Lynn University.
Lyles said she’s felt compelled to run for Congress office because of the issues facing the nation.
“My background is so aligned with everything that’s going on issue-wise,” she said. “Health care being the No. 1 issue in the country. Who better to speak about health care than a former health care worker? There’s concerns with education and dismantling of the Department of Education. Who better to advocate than an educator?”
Lyles said affordability of housing and basic necessities is major issue given inflation and skyrocketing costs of homeownership. She points to her nonprofit, Standing Heroes for Average Workers, that looks to connect lawmakers with working families facing housing insecurity and healthcare barriers to help prevent potential homelessness, according to her campaign website.
“I would be remiss with my health care background if I didn’t champion health care right now,” she said. “Health care has to be at the forefront right now, it’s the No. 1 reason people are filing for bankruptcy. It ties into affordability.”
Lyles said she was one of the youngest certified nurse assistants in Tennessee, where she grew up, working in public hospitals. She used her knowledge and experience to serve as a medical technician for service members in the Air Force.
“Universal health care is where we want to be. Starting from ACA and expanding it out over a period of time to get to universal health care is the most sensible way to do it it,” she said.
Lyles said she is a pro-choice candidate believing government should not interfere with a women’s bodily autonomy. Doing so, Lyles said, is contrary to President Donald Trump’s goal of increasing the birth rate. She believes the federal government needs to stop threatening programs like Medicaid and Social Security for residents who are struggling with affordability of housing, health care and basic necessities.
Glenn Pearson
Pearson, a Manatee County resident, is running his first campaign for federal office. He’s a former broadcast TV anchor of more than 30 years, having worked in several major markets including Orlando. Now, he’s a small-business owner of a financial services company that works to help individuals plan for retirement.
Pearson said he is running because he’s “fed up with the lies, the distractions and the corruption that keep real problems from being solved,” according to his campaign website.
Among his top priorities are to make life more affordable for working families by opposing tariffs that rise food prices, cracking down on corporate price gouging and defending programs such as Medicare and Social Security.
“Through my work in financial services, I’ve seen how difficult it can be for individuals to afford coverage, manage prescription costs and plan for retirement. Those experiences have reinforced my belief that public policy should prioritize people and ensure that essential programs like Social Security and Medicare remain strong and reliable,” Pearson wrote in response to a Ballotpedia candidate survey.
On his posted platform, Pearson said he would support health care for all, that medical decisions should be made by the individuals and their doctors, as well as lowering prescription drug costs. In Congress, Pierson wants to work on raising the minimum wage and putting an end to U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement officers’ occupation of major cities.
Pearson did not respond to multiple requests from The Ledger for a candidate interview.
Jan Schneider
Schneider, an attorney from Anna Maria with her own independent law office, is seeking the Democratic Party nomination for “the gerrymandered” Congressional District 16, as her campaign states.
Previously, Schneider has unsucessfully run against Buchanan in 2016, 2022 and again in 2024, receiving 40.5% of the vote. She was unable to secure the party’s nomination in 2018, losing in the primaries to David Shapiro.
Schneider received her law degree from Yale Law School and has a doctorat in political science from Yale University. She also has a master’s degree in international affairs from Columbia University.
As an attorney, Schneider has provided free legal services to residents of public housing in Bradenton and Sarasota for years, according to her campaign website. She lists several local organizations she has been involved with, including Disabled American Veterans Auxiliary, First Responders for Democracy and the Sarasota-Manatee National Organization for Women among others.
As three key focuses of her campaign, Schneider said she’s focusing on economic security given the high costs of living, campaign finance reform to prohibit corporate political action committees from contribution to candidates with stricter contribution limits, and improving the health care system, according to answers given to a Ballotpedia candidate survey.
Schneider did not respond to multiple requests for a candidate interview with The Ledger.
Primary voting begins Aug. 8
Walk-in voting for the primary elections runs Aug. 8 to Aug. 15, from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. Individuals can look up their polling locations on the Polk County Supervisor of Election’s website at www.polkelections.gov.
On Aug. 18, the polls will be open from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. Primary elections are limited by state law to registered party members, but there are several non-partisan races for those who are not registered with a political party.
This article originally appeared on The Ledger: Five compete to be Democratic nominee for CD 16 primaries
Reporting by Sara-Megan Walsh, Lakeland Ledger / The Ledger
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
By Sara-Megan Walsh, Lakeland Ledger | USA TODAY Network
