My name is John Peters, and I am running for the United States Congress to represent Florida’s 16th Congressional District. This decision did not come lightly. It came after years of watching Washington fail the people of Bradenton, Riverview, Lakewood Ranch, and every community in our district.
I am not a career politician. I am a businessman, a family man, and a Floridian who believes that our district deserves better representation in Washington. I have spent my career in the private sector — managing budgets, meeting payrolls, making decisions with real consequences. That experience has shown me what is possible when leaders focus on results rather than politics.
Why Now? The Challenges Facing District 16
Our district is at a crossroads. The communities I know and love — from the growing neighborhoods of Parrish and Lakewood Ranch to the established families in Brandon and Valrico — are facing challenges that demand serious leadership.
Insurance costs are crushing homeowners across Manatee and Hillsborough counties. The average Florida homeowner is now paying $6,000–$8,000 per year in property insurance — more than three times the national average — and families in coastal areas pay even more. Read my full plan to fix Florida’s insurance crisis →
I look at the families in Sun City Center who worked their whole lives and now worry about whether they can afford to stay in their homes because of skyrocketing insurance premiums. I talk to small business owners in Palmetto and Ellenton who are drowning in regulations. I meet young parents in Fish Hawk and Bloomingdale who are concerned about the quality of their children’s education and whether they will be able to afford a home in the community where they grew up.
Retirees in Sun City Center are navigating a Medicare Advantage market that Congress is actively threatening to destabilize — a direct financial risk for tens of thousands of FL-16 families on fixed incomes. Read what I will fight for to protect Medicare →
These are not Republican problems or Democrat problems. They are our problems, and they require leaders who are willing to work for real solutions — not careers, not headlines, not the next election.
Term Limits for Congress: Why I’m Committed to Ending Career Politicians
The single biggest structural problem in Washington is that too many members of Congress view their seat as a career rather than a calling. When you have spent 20 or 30 years in the House, your priorities shift — from your constituents to your own survival. You protect your seniority. You cultivate your donors. You play the inside game. And the people who sent you to Washington become an afterthought.
Congressional term limits would change that calculus entirely. A member who knows they will serve 8–12 years and then return home has every incentive to actually solve problems — because they will have to live under the laws they pass.
I support a constitutional amendment limiting members of the House to three terms (six years) and members of the Senate to two terms (twelve years). This is not a new idea — it has broad public support across party lines. What it lacks is members of Congress willing to vote for their own term limits. I am pledging to serve no more than three terms myself, and I will push for a constitutional amendment from day one.
The era of the career politician must end. Congress was designed to be citizen representation, not a permanent governing class.
A Balanced Budget Amendment: Making Washington Live Within Its Means
The federal government currently carries over $34 trillion in debt — and adds to it every single year. Every family in Manatee and Hillsborough counties has to live within a budget. Every small business in Bradenton and Brandon has to match its spending to its income. The federal government should be held to the same basic standard.
A Balanced Budget Amendment to the Constitution would require Congress to pass a balanced budget each year — with exceptions for declared wars and genuine national emergencies. This is not a radical idea. Forty-nine states have some form of balanced budget requirement. The federal government is the outlier, and the consequences of that exception are being passed to our children and grandchildren in the form of compounding debt.
I will be a consistent vote for fiscal responsibility and a vocal advocate for a Balanced Budget Amendment. Cutting waste, eliminating duplicative programs, and making the government live within its means is not just good economics — it is a moral obligation to future generations.
What I Stand For: The Issues Driving This Campaign
My campaign is built on making Washington work for the families of District 16, not for the political establishment. Here are the issues I will fight for in Congress:
- Fixing Florida’s homeowners insurance crisis. Federal reinsurance backstop, NFIP reform, and wind mitigation incentives to bring premiums down for FL-16 families. Read the full plan →
- Protecting Medicare for Florida seniors. No cuts to Medicare Advantage payment rates, prior authorization reform, and protecting traditional Medicare as a guaranteed benefit. Read the full plan →
- Infrastructure and traffic relief. Securing federal funding for I-75 capacity improvements, SR-64, Suncoast Parkway extension, and Manatee River bridge rehabilitation. Read the full plan →
- School choice and parental rights. Supporting federal Education Savings Accounts, protecting Step Up For Students, and defending Florida homeschool families from federal overreach. Read the full plan →
- Term limits and fiscal responsibility. Constitutional amendment for term limits, Balanced Budget Amendment, and ending the era of career politicians.
- Border security. Completing the border wall, restoring remain-in-Mexico policies, and ending catch-and-release.
- Veterans. Expanding VA benefits, reducing VA bureaucracy, and ensuring veterans across FL-16 can access care in their own communities.
A Campaign for Everyone in District 16
Whether you are a lifelong Republican, a registered Democrat, or an Independent who is tired of the partisan noise, this campaign is for you. I believe that roughly 85 to 90 percent of the issues facing our district are shared concerns where we can find common ground — insurance costs, traffic, Medicare, education, veterans. These are not ideological debates. They are practical problems that affect every family in our communities.
Florida’s 16th District is a special place — one of the fastest-growing, most diverse, most dynamic communities in America. It deserves a representative who will actually show up, work across the aisle when necessary, fight hard for our district’s interests, and go home when the job is done. That is the kind of representation I am asking you to send to Washington.
I am asking for your trust, your voice, and your support as we work together to bring common-sense governance to Washington.
See John Peters’ full platform →
Frequently Asked Questions
Who is John Peters?
John Peters is a businessman, family man, and Floridian running for the Republican nomination in Florida’s 16th Congressional District (Manatee and Hillsborough counties). He is not a career politician — he comes from the private sector and is running on a platform of term limits, a balanced budget amendment, fixing Florida’s homeowners insurance crisis, and protecting Medicare for District 16 seniors.
What are term limits for Congress?
Congressional term limits would cap the number of terms a member of Congress can serve — for example, three terms (six years) in the House and two terms (twelve years) in the Senate. A constitutional amendment is required to impose term limits. John Peters supports this amendment and pledges to serve no more than four terms himself.
What is a balanced budget amendment?
A Balanced Budget Amendment would require the federal government to pass a budget where spending does not exceed revenue each year — similar to the requirements that 49 states already follow. Exceptions would exist for declared wars and national emergencies. John Peters believes the federal government should live within its means, just as every family and small business in District 16 must do.
What district does John Peters represent?
John Peters is running for Florida’s 16th Congressional District, which covers Manatee County and parts of Hillsborough County. Major communities include Bradenton, Riverview, Lakewood Ranch, Brandon, Sun City Center, Parrish, Palmetto, and Ellenton.
When is the Florida 16th District primary?
The Republican primary for Florida’s 16th Congressional District is August 18, 2026. The general election is November 3, 2026. The deadline to register or change party affiliation to vote in the Republican primary is July 20, 2026. Florida is a closed primary state — only registered Republicans can vote in the Republican primary.
Florida’s 16th District deserves a representative who will actually fight for the families who live here — not for a career in Washington. Join John Peters’ campaign and be part of what comes next for FL-16.