Candidate · November 3, 2026
Ralph Groves
On the ballot for U.S. House · Florida's 11th District
- issues with public statements
- 13
§1On the ballot
Why this matters: This is exactly how the candidate appears on your ballot, from the state's official candidate list.
| Office | U.S. House · Florida's 11th District1, |
|---|---|
| Party on the ballot | Libertarian Party of Florida1, |
| Status | Open seat — no incumbent is running for this seat. |
| Also on the ballot |
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§2Who they are
Why this matters: Background and experience help you judge how someone might do the job. These come from public records and the candidate's own materials.
Drafted by AI from the public sources cited. Each sentence links to its source.
Ralph Groves served in the U.S. Army, including in Germany and on General Petraeus's staff in Baghdad during the Iraq War, and retired as a major in 2010.6,
Why they say they're running
His campaign website says his campaign gives the district's voters a third choice besides Democrats and Republicans, and describes him as socially liberal and economically conservative.6
Websites and accounts
- Campaign websitegrovesforcongress.com6,
8
§3What they've said on the issues
Why this matters: These are positions the candidate has stated publicly — on their campaign website or in public statements — summarized in plain words with a link to where they said it. Issues they haven't spoken about publicly are left out.
Drafted by AI from the public sources cited. Each sentence links to its source.
Each issue has its own range of views. A position is marked on that range only when the candidate's own statement clearly matches one option; there is no overall left–right score.
Foreign Policy and Defense
His campaign website says he would work to make sure presidents send U.S. forces overseas only to defend the United States and for no more than 60 days unless Congress authorizes a longer period.6
- Let the president order military action without needing Congress's approval
- Let the president act first, but enforce the 60-day limit and end any action Congress doesn't approve
- Require Congress to approve military action in advance, except to defend against an attack
His campaign website says he calls for an immediate cease-fire and mediated peace talks in Ukraine and opposes deepening U.S. support for Ukraine, preferring that European allies do more.9
His campaign website says U.S. defense industries should receive more funding to restock military equipment provided to Ukraine.9
Taxes and Budget
His campaign website says he would work with Vice President JD Vance to tackle Medicare fraud.6
His campaign website says he will call for lower federal taxes to stimulate the economy.9
Abortion and Reproductive Health
His campaign website says he favors promoting a culture of life, that in extreme cases abortion should be decided by women and their doctors rather than the government, and that abortions should be performed in hospitals rather than outside clinics.6,
His campaign website says keeping government out of abortion means no government funding for Planned Parenthood.9
- Bar public funds for abortions and for groups that provide them, including for their other services
- Bar public funds for most abortions, but let clinics that provide them be paid for other care
- Let Medicaid and other public programs cover abortion (ending the Hyde Amendment)
Immigration
His campaign website says legal, regulated immigration boosts the economy and the population and that immigration processes should be simplified to enhance it.9
Education
His campaign website says he applauds the abolition of the federal Department of Education and that states should manage education without federal regulation.9
- Close the department and move or end its programs
- Shrink it and give states more control over federal school money
- Keep the department and its programs, or expand it
His campaign website says parents should have a broad range of options, including vouchers and homeschooling.9
Social Security and Medicare
His campaign website says he will uphold Social Security and Medicare.9
Health Care
His campaign website says he would work to prevent what it calls tyrannical vaccine mandates in response to future pandemics.7
- Limit emergency powers and bar governments and employers from requiring workers to get vaccinated
- Allow emergency measures, but end them after a set time unless lawmakers vote to extend them
- Keep officials' power to declare emergencies and require vaccines for some workers, such as in health care
Guns
A 2019 position paper posted on his campaign website argues that expanded background checks would not keep guns away from criminals, while saying checks can be useful for screening people with criminal records.10