Kathy Castor

Kathy Castor is the Democratic U.S. Representative for Florida's 14th Congressional District, the Tampa-based seat she has held since 2007. A native Floridian widely known as Tampa Bay's congresswoman, she was the first woman elected to Congress from Hillsborough and Pinellas counties. In 2026 she is running for re-election in a district that Florida's Legislature redrew to lean more Republican — a map she has called unconstitutional — while pledging to keep standing up for Tampa Bay families no matter how the lines are drawn.

Castor was born in Miami in 1966 and raised in Tampa, where she graduated from Chamberlain High School. She earned a bachelor's degree in political science from Emory University in 1988 and a law degree from Florida State University College of Law in 1991. Before entering public office she worked as an environmental and land-use attorney, helping enforce growth-management and clean-water protections across Florida. She served on the Hillsborough County Board of Commissioners from 2002 to 2006, including as chair of the county's Environmental Protection Commission.

First elected to Congress in 2006, Castor is a senior member of the House Energy and Commerce Committee and chaired the House Select Committee on the Climate Crisis, which produced a comprehensive climate action plan that helped shape national clean-energy policy. Over her tenure she has worked to lower health care costs, secured major federal investments for MacDill Air Force Base and the James A. Haley Veterans' Hospital, helped pass the PACT Act expanding care for veterans exposed to toxins, and become a leading voice for stronger online protections for children and teens. Her record of delivering practical results for the Tampa Bay region makes her a compelling candidate for re-election.

Kathy Castor is focused on finding solutions and lowering costs for Tampa Bay families. She has worked to:

• Lower health care costs and protect coverage, championing measures like the cap on insulin prices and helping millions of Floridians access affordable care.
• Bring down everyday expenses for families — from housing and energy to insurance — and grow the middle class.
• Advance clean energy and protect Florida's environment, including keeping oil drilling away from the state's beaches.
• Strengthen and protect Medicare and Social Security for older residents.
• Support servicemembers, veterans, and military families, securing investments in MacDill Air Force Base and the Haley VA Medical Center.
• Deliver federal investments in local infrastructure — including Port Tampa Bay, Tampa International Airport, roads, and bridges — to create jobs across the region.

Across these priorities, Castor emphasizes a practical, solutions-first approach: working across party lines where possible and keeping Tampa Bay families at the center of her agenda.