Eddie Speir is mounting another bold run for Congress after Vern Buchanan announced his retirement, pitching himself as a grassroots constitutional conservative ready to take on the local GOP machine. He nearly toppled the 10-term incumbent in 2024, and now he says the open seat gives him a straight shot to press the same outsider message. Expect a crowded primary with establishment figures weighing whether to challenge the populist energy Speir says he built.
Speir’s 2024 campaign surprised a lot of people by pushing a hard conservative message and pulling just under 40 percent against an entrenched incumbent. That result left him positioned as the clear outsider alternative to what he calls moderate, compromise-minded Republicans. With Buchanan stepping down, Speir is already shifting from challenger to front-runner in name and momentum.
“This is just a continuation of what I did in ’24, which was run against Vern Buchanan to expose the RINOs [Republicans In Name Only] that are not representing the district…and the taxpayers of Florida. So we need somebody that’s gonna step up and actually represent and go to Washington D.C. with a bold agenda and not compromise to the elite social circles that are up there in D.C.”
Speir insists his strategy is simple: keep the grassroots engine running and double down on constitutional themes that appealed to voters last cycle. He argues that now, without an incumbent to protect, the path to victory is clearer and cheaper for a campaign built on small donations and door-knocking. That confidence is rooted in the vote share he claims as proof that his approach resonates with local conservatives.
“We were the largest grassroots movement in this district’s history…Nobody else had even come close to earning 40% in the entire state of Florida. … So, it’s hard to push against an incumbent here in Florida. But now there’s not even an incumbent, so we’re just gonna continue the same momentum that we had and get the message out.”
Still, the GOP primary map is already drawing establishment names who represent the political currents Speir rails against. The most obvious figure is Joe Gruters, a long-time insider with deep connections to the state party and national GOP infrastructure. Gruters’ trio of roles — state senator, RNC member, and candidate for state office — complicates any potential switch, but his profile alone would signal a more conventional conservative option for voters.
Other players being mentioned include a mix of former legislators, developers, and local officials who could split the center-right vote. Richard Corcoran’s name has surfaced in conversations, in part because of his role at New College of Florida and the high-profile reforms tied to that effort. Speir’s own link to New College after a failed confirmation fight gave him national exposure and underscored his willingness to be a disruptive force in state politics.
Local politicos also point to candidates like former state Rep. Mike Beltran, developer Carlos Beruff, former state Senate President Bill Galvano, and Manatee County Commissioner Mike Rahn as potential entrants. That kind of field would set up a clash between Speir’s activist base and a more establishment coalition with deeper fundraising networks. In a crowded primary, message discipline and turnout will likely decide who emerges.
“In the ’24 primary, Vern Buchanan had one of the worst records possible, and Donald Trump endorsed him with a number of other horrific candidates. So we’ve got to be able to separate Trump’s priorities and his constitutional conservative push, versus the political machine that he’s working with, because that political machine is not doing any favors to the Republican Party,” Speir said.
“So I think the endorsements mean a little bit less. Now, that doesn’t mean that I won’t try to get Trump’s endorsement, but we already gained [a] historic vote, and as a challenger in 2024.”
