Kelly Kirschner

Kelly Kirschner grew up selling oranges and grapefruit with his siblings at his family's Sarasota area citrus business, Blue Heron Fruit Shippers.¹ He spent a decade as a single father while raising his two children.¹ His family has lived in Florida for three generations.¹

Kirschner earned his bachelor's and master's degrees at Georgetown University.² He was head manager of the men's basketball team and received a scholarship.¹ He later spent four years with the Peace Corps in northern Guatemala, helping Mayan farming families market their products.¹ He speaks English and Spanish.¹

His work in Sarasota included serving as a city commissioner and mayor, with community organizing around parks and neighborhood development.² He helped establish UnidosNow, which supports students who would be the first in their families to attend college.¹ His career also includes sales at Bio-Pro Research and executive and continuing education leadership at Eckerd College.²

Kirschner proposes a national reinsurance backstop, limits on corporate purchases of family homes and protections for Social Security, Medicare and Medicaid.¹ He also supports clean water protections, disaster readiness and stronger oversight of federal spending.¹ He is the Democrat competing to succeed retiring Congressman Vern Buchanan, alongside Republican Sydney Gruters and independent Mark Davis.²