Mark Davis, a Parrish resident and Air Force veteran, is running with no party affiliation for Florida's 16th Congressional District in the Nov. 3, 2026, general election. He faces Republican Sydney Gruters and Democrat Kelly Kirschner.

Asked why he is running, Davis said in our candidate questionnaire: "I'm running because I'm tired of watching working families get squeezed while Washington argues about everything except the problems sitting at our kitchen tables. … I never planned on becoming a politician. I decided to run because I believe regular people need a seat at the table again."

Candidate information

Residence: Parrish, Florida

Family: Davis said in our questionnaire: "I'm married to Sarah, my high-school sweetheart, and we have been together for most of our lives. She has worked as a registered nurse for approximately 20 years. We have two children, a teenage daughter and a son in elementary school, and we live in Parrish."

Education: High school diploma, Western High School, Russiaville, Indiana

Party affiliation: Davis said in our questionnaire: "No Party Affiliation. I am running independently of the Democratic and Republican parties and will appear directly on the November general-election ballot. … My campaign does not accept money from political parties or corporate PACs."

Recent arrest: Davis was arrested July 28, 2026, on a charge of obstruction of an officer without violence during a court-ordered safety and welfare check at his home, according to WWSB ABC7. The Sarasota Circuit Court ordered the check after allegations of firearms inside the home accessible by his children. Davis was released the same day on bond. He told ABC7 the complaint is false and is retaliation for his criticism of President Trump and Gov. Ron DeSantis.

Experience and public service

Davis has never held elected office.

He filed as a candidate with the Federal Election Commission on Dec. 1, 2025. Asked about his work history, Davis said in our questionnaire: "I served eight years in the United States Air Force, working in fuels and supporting KC-135 aerial-refueling operations. Afterward, I spent approximately 16 years in corporate America, including buying, marketing and operations for a major home-improvement retailer. I later entered the insurance industry and became a small-business owner."

On the issues

Healthcare (top priority): Davis said in our questionnaire: "Universal healthcare. Period. Americans shouldn't lose healthcare because they lose a job, shouldn't avoid a doctor because they're afraid of the bill, and shouldn't go bankrupt because somebody in their family gets sick." He said he supports Medicare for All legislation, citing H.R. 3069, introduced in the 119th Congress. He said his family has faced "premiums around $2,000 a month with a $20,000 deductible and roughly $40,000 maximum out-of-pocket exposure."

Affordability: Davis said: "Working people are getting crushed by costs while enormous corporations continue consolidating markets and reporting massive profits." He said he supports raising the federal minimum wage to at least $20 an hour and opposing tax increases on Americans making under $400,000.

Immigration: Davis said: "I support securing the border while completely rebuilding our immigration system around documentation, accountability and humanity." He said he supports replacing ICE with a reformed agency.

National security: Davis said any sustained military involvement with Iran must have "clearly defined objectives, congressional authorization, meaningful oversight and an exit strategy."

Federal spending: Davis said he supports "auditing federal spending program by program, eliminating waste and corporate giveaways" and banning members of Congress from trading individual stocks.

Energy: Davis said: "I support expanding renewable energy, modernizing the electrical grid, improving battery and energy-storage technology, and investing in next-generation nuclear power alongside other clean-energy sources." He said he opposes allowing large data centers to move into communities while residents subsidize additional infrastructure.

Differences from opponents: Davis said in our questionnaire: "The clearest structural difference is that I am the only No Party Affiliation candidate in the general election; my opponents are the Republican and Democratic nominees." He said his campaign's FEC receipts through July 29 included no contributions from PACs, other political committees or party committees.