nijinnUS Midterms 2026
Updated Oct 16, 2026, 2:28 PM ET
Kathy Castor
Democratic · 3 November 2026

Kathy Castor

U.S. Representative for Florida's 14th congressional district (since 2007)
Florida

Kathy Castor, a Democrat who has represented the Tampa-based 14th congressional district of Florida in the U.S. House since 2007, seeks re-election in 2026 against Republican Mike Beltran, a former state representative.

2026 Races & Market Forecast

Live TruthIndex™ and prediction market consensus for races contested by Kathy Castor.

FL-14 HouseLean D
TruthIndex™
DKathy Castor
68.5%
RMike Beltran
31.1%
Polymarket 69.5% · Kalshi 68.0% · 1.5 pts apart
Kathy Castor, TruthIndex™ over the past 59 days
Latest coverage

Live News

Recent media coverage for Kathy Castor.

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    Rep. Janelle Bynum (D-OR-05) – C [...] Rep. Janelle Bynum (D-OR-05) – C

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  3. Sen. Markey, Leader Schumer, Reps. Matsui, Menendez, Meng Lead Colleagues in Demanding Trump FCC Withdraw Proposal to Undermine E-Rate Program

    Topic: A coalition of prominent House Democrats led by Sen. Ed Markey and Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, including Rep.

    markey.senate.govOfficialUnderwoodCourtneyCostaHayesCleaverFosterMcCollumBalintSalinas
Born
August 20, 1966
Birthplace
Miami, Florida
Education
Chamberlain High School (1984)
Emory University (Bachelor of Arts in political science, 1988)
Florida State University College of Law (Juris Doctor, 1991)

Biography & Campaign Analysis

Background

Kathy Castor was born on August 20, 1966, in Miami and raised in Tampa.

Her mother, Betty Castor, served as a Hillsborough County commissioner, Florida education commissioner, president of the University of South Florida and a member of the Florida Senate, and her father, Donald Castor, was a Hillsborough County judge.

After graduating from Chamberlain High School in 1984, Castor earned a Bachelor of Arts in political science from Emory University in 1988, interning for U.S. Senator Lawton Chiles as an undergraduate, and received a Juris Doctor from the Florida State University College of Law in 1991.

She is married to William Lewis, and they have two children.

Career

Following law school, Kathy Castor worked as an assistant general counsel for the Florida Department of Community Affairs until 1994 and then practiced as a land use attorney, including as a partner at the law firm Broad and Cassel. After an unsuccessful run for the Florida Senate in 2000, she served on the Hillsborough County Board of Commissioners from 2002 to 2006, where she chaired the county's Environmental Protection Commission.

When five-term incumbent Jim Davis ran for governor in 2006, Castor won the Democratic primary for the Tampa-based 11th district with 54% of the vote and took the general election 70% to 30%, becoming the first woman to represent the Tampa Bay area in Congress.

The district was renumbered the 14th in 2013. After Democrats regained the House in 2018, she chaired the House Select Committee on the Climate Crisis, established in 2019.

In the 119th Congress she sits on the Committee on Energy and Commerce, where she is ranking member of the Subcommittee on Energy.

2026 race

As the incumbent in Florida's 14th congressional district, Kathy Castor is seeking another term after winning re-election with 56.9% of the vote in 2024, and she is again the Democratic nominee.

Her Republican opponent is Mike Beltran, a former state representative from the 70th district (2018 to 2024), who won an eight-candidate primary with 45.6% of the vote ahead of former state representative Kevin Steele.

Libertarian Brian Lambert is also a nominee in the general election, which takes place on November 3, 2026.

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