Rachel Grage, a Democrat and biomedical engineer, is running for the U.S. House of Representatives in Florida's 5th Congressional District. She faces Republican John H. Rutherford in the Nov. 3 general election.

Asked why she is running, Grage said in our candidate questionnaire: "As an engineer, health care professional, and mother of four, I am running for Congress in Florida's 5th District to bring pragmatic, solutions-focused leadership back to our government … I apply fact-based problem solving to tackle the real challenges facing local families- from rising healthcare, housing, and insurance costs to protecting reproductive freedoms, contraception, and IVF."

Candidate information

Age: 55, according to her response to News4JAX.

Residence: Grage is a New York state native who moved to Florida in 2019, according to Florida Politics.

Education: Asked about her education, Grage said in our questionnaire: "I am a product of American public schools … I earned my bachelor's and master's degrees in engineering because I wanted the tools to solve tough, tangible problems. But I also minored in dance—because discipline, stamina, and creative expression matter just as much."

Family: Grage said in our questionnaire: "My husband, a dedicated physician and veteran who served as a medical officer in the U.S. Army, instilled in our home a profound respect for service, discipline, and caring for others. Together, we built a life grounded in hard work and community, raising four incredible children—including our twin daughters."

She added: "Two of our children are following their father's footsteps in medical school … Another works right here in Florida as an Imagineer at Walt Disney World … And our youngest is abroad, representing American goodwill as a Fulbright recipient teaching English in Poland."

Experience and public service

Grage won the 2026 Democratic primary for the 5th Congressional District, defeating Mark Heggestad and Alex Hazen, according to The Florida Trib. She was the top Democratic fundraiser in the primary, raising $272,423 through July 29.

She ran for Florida House District 16 in 2024, according to The Florida Trib. She has served as a legislative liaison at local Democratic organizations in Florida, according to Florida Politics.

Asked about her qualifications, Grage said in our questionnaire: "I spent years as a biomedical engineer researching medical therapies—a career that taught me to examine complex challenges, follow the data, and deliver practical results. Outside the lab, Iʼve served our community as an elected HOA president, balancing budgets, resolving local concerns, and tracking state legislation that impacts our neighborhoods."

On the issues

Top priority: Grage said in our questionnaire: "I view family affordability as a major issue that warrants attention from Congress. Drawing on my background as a biomedical engineer, I focus on policy areas that affect household budgets, including healthcare costs, housing affordability, and insurance rates."

Her policy priorities, she said, include "lowering medical costs," "protecting senior safety nets" and "government accountability."

Healthcare: Grage said in our questionnaire: "Healthcare must be treated as a guaranteed human right rather than a corporate commodity. To achieve universal coverage, Congress should enact the Medicare for All Act for comprehensive, zero-out-of-pocket care, permanently extend enhanced Affordable Care Act premium tax credits, and close the Medicaid coverage gap."

Cost of living: On affordability, Grage said in our questionnaire: "In housing, passing the Stop Wall Street Landlords Act and the End Hedge Fund Control of American Homes Act eliminates tax subsidies for institutional investors … To combat grocery inflation, the Price Gouging Prevention Act empowers regulators against artificial markups."

Contrast with opponent: Grage said in our questionnaire: "John Rutherford has been in Congress since 2017, after a long career as Jacksonville's sheriff. He's a go along, get along incumbent who functions as a rubber stamp instead of an independent voice for this district."

She added: "I'm an engineer and healthcare professional, not a career politician. I'll hold town halls, explain my votes and answer to the people I represent."

Endorsements

Grage has received two endorsements, according to BallotReady.

  • Democratic Environmental Caucus of Florida
  • AFL-CIO