U.S. House, Florida 17th Congressional District · Election November 3, 2026 · Updated
Who should I vote for in Florida's 17th Congressional District?
Greg Steube has the strongest record in Florida's 17th Congressional District. Greg Steube scores 60 out of 100 on the Ballot Standard, as of October 9, 2026. Greg Steube's highest marks are relevant experience and results. Matthew Montavon (7 of 15 criteria) and Michael J. Quirk (6 of 15 criteria) have too little public record to score. Every score comes from public records on character, qualifications and performance, the same way for every party.
Democratic
Matthew Montavon
Not enough public record for a score
Public evidence on 7 of 15 criteria
- Character
- 50
- Qualifications
- 55
- Performance
- NR
No Party Affiliation
Michael J. Quirk
Not enough public record for a score
Public evidence on 6 of 15 criteria
- Character
- 50
- Qualifications
- 50
- Performance
- NR
Republican · incumbent
Strongest record
Greg Steube
60 / 100
Public evidence on 13 of 15 criteria
- Character
- 50
- Qualifications
- 70
- Performance
- 56
The good, the bad and the unresolved
The record
The notable facts of each candidate's public life, each tied to a source and confirmed to be this person. Unresolved matters are labeled with where they stand and do not move a score.
Matthew Montavon
No notable items confirmed in news archives or public documents.
Michael J. Quirk
No notable items confirmed in news archives or public documents.
Greg Steube
- Mark against2022-03-03
A periodic transaction report filed March 3, 2022 disclosed a spouse sale of Synovus shares made March 10, 2021, after the STOCK Act 45-day deadline; 2019 and 2020 reports were also late.
Source: House Clerk periodic transaction report, Filing ID 20020396
- Mark against2021-01-06
Voted Yea on the objections to Arizona's and Pennsylvania's certified electoral votes on Jan. 6, 2021, after signing the December 2020 Texas v. Pennsylvania amicus brief.
Sources: House Clerk Roll Call 10, 2021, House Clerk Roll Call 11, 2021, Texas v. Pennsylvania, amicus brief of 126 Representatives
- On the record2026-10-09
PolitiFact has rated two of his checked statements False, three Mostly False and one Mostly True.
- Credit2024-12-12
Sponsored H.R. 5863, the Federal Disaster Tax Relief Act of 2023, which was signed into law Dec. 12, 2024.
- Credit2023
Rated as exceeding expectations by the Center for Effective Lawmaking for the 118th Congress.
Source: Center for Effective Lawmaking House dataset, 93rd to 118th Congress
Who they are
Character
Integrity
Tells the truth, keeps their word, and takes no private gain from public office.
Matthew Montavon. Campaign committee reports are on file with the FEC through July 29, 2026, and a House candidate financial disclosure was filed May 12, 2026. No FEC administrative fine found.
Sources: FEC candidate page, House Clerk candidate financial disclosure, Filing ID 10077614, FEC administrative fines search
Michael J. Quirk. Campaign committee reports are on file with the FEC through June 30, 2026. No FEC administrative fine found.
Sources: FEC candidate page, FEC administrative fines search
Greg Steube. Annual financial disclosure for 2025 filed Aug. 12, 2026. Several spouse stock transactions were reported after the STOCK Act deadline (see Record). No ethics or FEC finding found.
Sources: House Clerk financial disclosure, Filing ID 10075309, FEC candidate page, FEC administrative fines search
Courage
Takes a stand that costs them something, including telling their own side no.
Matthew Montavon. No public record found.
Michael J. Quirk. No public record found.
Greg Steube. Voted against bills backed by his party's leadership: the 2023 Fiscal Responsibility Act, the September 2023 stopgap and the March 2024 spending package, each supported by the Speaker.
Sources: House Clerk Roll Call 243, 2023 (H.R. 3746), House Clerk Roll Call 513, 2023 (H.R. 5860), House Clerk Roll Call 102, 2024 (H.Res. 1102)
Accountability
Owns mistakes, answers hard questions, and works in the open.
Matthew Montavon. Listed as attending a Venice Area Chamber of Commerce candidate forum and walked 80 miles across the district meeting voters in 2026. No general election forum with Greg Steube was found.
Sources: Venice Area Chamber of Commerce, Candidate Forum, Bay News 9, Oct. 5, 2026
Michael J. Quirk. No public record found.
Greg Steube. No public record found.
Temperament and judgment
Steady under pressure, decides on evidence, and treats opponents and staff with respect.
Matthew Montavon. No public record found.
Michael J. Quirk. No public record found.
Greg Steube. Served as an Army JAG officer, a Florida legislator (2010 to 2018) and U.S. representative since 2019. No censure, reprimand or conduct finding found.
Sources: Wikipedia, Greg Steube, GovTrack, Greg Steube
Fidelity to the oath
Uses power inside its limits: accepts certified results, obeys court rulings, follows the rules of the office.
Matthew Montavon. No public record found.
Michael J. Quirk. No public record found.
Greg Steube. Voted Yea on the January 2021 objections to Arizona's and Pennsylvania's certified electors, and signed the December 2020 Texas v. Pennsylvania amicus brief.
Sources: House Clerk Roll Call 10, 2021, House Clerk Roll Call 11, 2021, Texas v. Pennsylvania, amicus brief of 126 Representatives
What they bring
Qualifications
Relevant experience
Has done work that prepares them for this specific office.
Matthew Montavon. Worked 27 years with the UN Food and Agriculture Organization after Peace Corps service and regional planning and public finance work in West Virginia and Virginia. Has not held public office.
Sources: Ballotpedia, Matthew Montavon, Campaign site, Meet Matthew
Michael J. Quirk. Says he has spent a thirty-year career in cybersecurity for banks, airlines and critical systems and started a small business in Sarasota. Has not held public office.
Source: Campaign site, home page
Greg Steube. In his fourth term in the U.S. House since January 2019, after six years in the Florida House and two in the Florida Senate.
Sources: GovTrack, Greg Steube, Wikipedia, Greg Steube
Command of the job
Knows the issues and knows what the office can and cannot do.
Matthew Montavon. Publishes a platform on immigration, cost of living, Social Security and other issues, with some specific proposals but mostly in general terms.
Source: Campaign site, home page
Michael J. Quirk. Publishes five issue areas, including costs, insurance and evacuation, data privacy, term limits and a congressional stock trading ban, in general terms.
Source: Campaign site, home page
Greg Steube. Serves on the Ways and Means Committee (Health and Trade subcommittees) and the Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence. Holds no chair or ranking post.
Source: GovTrack, committee membership
Communication
Explains plainly, persuades, and listens.
Matthew Montavon. Completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey in 2025, publishes a platform and appears at candidate forums.
Sources: Ballotpedia, Matthew Montavon, Campaign site, home page, Venice Area Chamber of Commerce, Candidate Forum
Michael J. Quirk. Publishes plain-language issue pages. Has not completed Ballotpedia's 2026 survey.
Sources: Campaign site, home page, Ballotpedia, Michael Quirk
Greg Steube. Offers an email newsletter and publishes issue pages. Has not completed Ballotpedia's 2026 survey.
Sources: Office site, Mobile Office Hours, Ballotpedia, Greg Steube
Roots in the constituency
Lives there, knows the people, and is funded by them.
Matthew Montavon. Says he has lived in the district since the 1990s; his filing address is in Sarasota. FEC by-state totals show about 57 percent of itemized individual contributions from Florida.
Sources: Campaign site, Meet Matthew, Florida Division of Elections, candidate detail, FEC contribution totals by state
Michael J. Quirk. Says he moved to Sarasota in 2024; his filing address is in Sarasota. No itemized individual contributions reported through June 30, 2026.
Sources: Campaign site, home page, Florida Division of Elections, candidate detail
Greg Steube. Born in Bradenton and represented Sarasota and Manatee County areas in the Florida Legislature from 2010 to 2018. FEC by-state totals show about 79 percent of itemized individual contributions from Florida.
Sources: Wikipedia, Greg Steube, FEC contribution totals by state
Management
Can build and run an organization.
Matthew Montavon. Campaign committee reports are on file with the FEC through July 29, 2026. No FEC administrative fine found.
Sources: FEC candidate page, FEC administrative fines search
Michael J. Quirk. Campaign committee reports are on file with the FEC through June 30, 2026. No FEC administrative fine found.
Sources: FEC candidate page, FEC administrative fines search
Greg Steube. Campaign committee reports are on file with the FEC through July 29, 2026. No FEC administrative fine found.
Sources: FEC candidate page, FEC administrative fines search
What they deliver
Performance
Results
Turns ideas into outcomes.
Matthew Montavon. No public record found.
Michael J. Quirk. No public record found.
Greg Steube. Legislative Effectiveness Score 2.05 in the 118th Congress against a benchmark of 1.20, exceeds expectations. Primary sponsor of 2 enacted bills, including the Federal Disaster Tax Relief Act of 2023.
Sources: Center for Effective Lawmaking House dataset, 93rd to 118th Congress, GovTrack, enacted legislation
Showing up
Does the basic work of the job.
Matthew Montavon. No public record found.
Michael J. Quirk. No public record found.
Greg Steube. Missed 217 of 3,869 roll call votes, 5.6 percent, from January 2019 to September 2026.
Source: GovTrack, missed votes
Constituent service
Solves problems for the people they represent.
Matthew Montavon. No public record found.
Michael J. Quirk. No public record found.
Greg Steube. Runs district offices in Sarasota and Punta Gorda and offers help with federal agencies; mobile office hours are listed as coming soon.
Sources: Office site, home page, Office site, Help with a Federal Agency
Coalition building
Wins support beyond their own faction.
Matthew Montavon. No public record found.
Michael J. Quirk. No public record found.
Greg Steube. Lugar Center Bipartisan Index score of -0.67177 in the latest posted House scores (118th Congress, 2023), ranked 257th of 436, a negative score outside the bottom quarter.
Source: Lugar Center and McCourt School Bipartisan Index, House Scores
Stewardship of public money
Treats tax dollars as someone else's money.
Matthew Montavon. No public record found.
Michael J. Quirk. No public record found.
Greg Steube. No public record found.
How to read this
Each criterion is scored 0 to 4 against the written rubric in the Ballot Standard. NR means no record: there is no reliable public evidence either way, so the criterion is left out and never counts against the candidate. A total is published when at least 8 of 15 criteria have evidence.
A sitting officeholder has a longer public record than a first-time candidate, so the two totals rest on different amounts of evidence. Read the count of criteria beside each score. Low marks require an official finding or a primary record. Allegations and opinion are not used.
No policy position is scored. Evidence checked October 9, 2026. Campaigns and readers can send a correction with a public source to tpg@thepoliticalgroup.com.
Questions
Who should I vote for in Florida's 17th Congressional District?
Greg Steube has the strongest record in Florida's 17th Congressional District. Greg Steube scores 60 out of 100 on the Ballot Standard, as of October 9, 2026. Greg Steube's highest marks are relevant experience and results. Matthew Montavon (7 of 15 criteria) and Michael J. Quirk (6 of 15 criteria) have too little public record to score. Every score comes from public records on character, qualifications and performance, the same way for every party.
Who is running in Florida's 17th Congressional District in 2026?
Matthew Montavon (Democratic), Michael J. Quirk (No Party Affiliation), Greg Steube (Republican, incumbent). The general election is November 3, 2026.
Is Matthew Montavon a good candidate for Congress?
Matthew Montavon has public evidence on 7 of the 15 Ballot Standard criteria, short of the 8 needed for a score. The evidence that exists is shown on the scorecard. No record never counts against a candidate.
Is Michael J. Quirk a good candidate for Congress?
Michael J. Quirk has public evidence on 6 of the 15 Ballot Standard criteria, short of the 8 needed for a score. The evidence that exists is shown on the scorecard. No record never counts against a candidate.
Is Greg Steube a good candidate for Congress?
Greg Steube scores 60 out of 100 on the Ballot Standard, with public evidence on 13 of 15 criteria: character 50 of 100, qualifications 70 of 100, performance 56 of 100. The standard measures character, qualifications and performance, not policy positions.
How is the strongest record decided?
The candidate with the highest Ballot Standard score has the strongest record. Each of 15 criteria on character, qualifications and performance is scored 0 to 4 from public records and established reporting, the same way for every party. No policy position is scored, and unresolved accusations never move a score.
More on this race: every Florida race scored, the trailing candidate's path to victory, and the Florida 2026 election guide. Independent scorecard by The Political Group, not affiliated with any candidate or party.