JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – Former Jacksonville radio host and current conservative podcaster Mark Kaye is running for Congress in 2026.
Kaye announced his bid this week with a video in which he bashes Democrats, Republicans and the current representative of the district where he is running, former Jacksonville sheriff and Republican John Rutherford.
🚨 ONLY 433 DAYS until we primary @RepRutherfordFL! Florida needs fighters in Congress, not stock traders. Spread the word! We need support. 2026 will be here faster than you think... https://t.co/fc0PsZTv9V pic.twitter.com/tsX9ltxixc
— Mark Kaye (@markkayeshow) June 11, 2025
“The Democrats are crazy, Republicans are lazy and nobody in Congress is actually working for you, and that’s disrespectful, because you hired them,” Kaye said in a video posted to X.
Kaye took direct aim at Rutherford, 72, in the video, calling him an absentee congressman and taking shots at his age.
“The only thing this guy fights for is the last cup of jello at the congressional cafeteria, plus he’s one of the least transparent congressmen in the entire world,” Kaye said.
Kaye made headlines last year when he shared an AI-generated photo of Donald Trump surrounded by Black voters. The same week, Kaye said he was fired from his job at Cox Media Group, parent company of WOKV Radio.
Kaye currently hosts the Mark Kaye Saves The Republic podcast and livestream, where he talks about politics and news and gets thousands of listeners.
“I’ve been shouting into microphones and TV cameras about these lazy politicians for years, but nothing’s changed,” Kaye said in a news release. “So I will go to Washington and shout at them from the House floor!”
Rutherford was elected in the redrawn 5th congressional district in 2023, a district that covers southeast Duval County and part of St. Johns County. He previously represented Florida’s 4th District starting in 2016.
Rutherford, who was endorsed by Trump in 2024, is expected to run again in 2026 but has not officially filed with the state of Florida. Rutherford has filed with the Federal Election Commission, and his campaign committee has about $270,000 on hand. News4JAX called Rutherford for comment but did not immediately hear back.
Kaye said he is a fierce advocate for free speech and small businesses and pledged to stand up for conservative voices that he says are being silenced online and to push back against Big Tech censorship.
The primary election is set for Aug. 18, 2026.
