Kathy Castor
Kathy Castor, an attorney and former Hillsborough County commissioner, has represented the Tampa-based 14th District since 2007. She chaired the House Select Committee on the Climate Crisis (2019-2023) and sits on the Energy and Commerce Committee. She advanced to the 2026 general election without appearing on the Democratic primary ballot (Ballotpedia had listed Juan Arauz as a filer). The April 2026 map removed the district's cross-bay portion, leaving it entirely within eastern and southern Hillsborough County.
How they got on the ballot: Advanced without appearing on Aug 18, 2026 Democratic primary ballot (Ballotpedia: https://ballotpedia.org/Florida%27s_14th_Congressional_District_election,_2026_(August_18_Democratic_primary) ; WUSF: https://www.wusf.org/politics-issues/2026-08-18/hillsborough-primary-results-2026-mike-beltran-wins-republican-nomination-florida-congressional-district-14)
Positions on the major issues
Compare with opponents →Each entry describes what the candidate has said or done, and what they say they will do, in neutral terms with sources. The chip shows how that relates to the statement voters rate in the matching tool.
Taxes & spending Leans disagree· based on record
Castor voted against H.R. 1 (the 2025 reconciliation law), which paired extended tax cuts with reductions in projected Medicaid and SNAP spending. All House Democrats voted no.
Immigration Strongly disagrees· based on record
Castor voted against the Laken Riley Act in January 2025 (and the 2024 version), voted no on a 2026 extension of Department of Homeland Security funding, and issued a March 2026 statement criticizing House Republicans for not reforming ICE 'without any guardrails or protections' after what she called well-documented abuses.
Abortion Strongly agrees· stated position
Castor co-sponsors the Women's Health Protection Act of 2025 (H.R. 12) to codify Roe, has called Florida's six-week law a 'cruel' ban, and voted for House Democrats' bill to protect access to birth control.
Guns Strongly agrees· based on record
Voted for the Bipartisan Safer Communities Act (2022), the federal gun-safety package that expanded background checks for buyers under 21 and funded red-flag law implementation.
Health care Strongly agrees· based on record
Voted against H.R. 1 (all House Democrats voted no); sponsors the Keep Kids Covered Act and voted for the Inflation Reduction Act, which extended ACA subsidies and allowed Medicare drug-price negotiation.
Environment & water Strongly agrees· stated position
As chair of the Select Committee on the Climate Crisis she released 'Solving the Climate Crisis,' a congressional action plan for a clean-energy economy and a 'healthy, resilient, and just America.'
Energy & utilities Strongly agrees· based on record
Voted for the Inflation Reduction Act's roughly $370 billion in clean-energy spending and sponsored the American Energy Efficiency Act and Advancing GETs Act (grid-enhancing technologies) in 2024.
No public position found on 10 issues
We searched campaign sites, questionnaires, interviews, votes and official actions and did not find a clear stance on: Housing affordability, Social Security & Medicare, Education & school choice, Elections & voting, Crime & policing, Gender identity laws, Tariffs & trade, Ukraine, Trump administration, Veterans. This is reported as unknown rather than guessed from party affiliation; these issues are excluded from this candidate's match score.
Other issues this candidate has raised
- Keep Kids Covered Act — Sponsors legislation to keep children continuously enrolled in Medicaid/CHIP coverage.Sources: Kathy Castor - Congress.gov
- PREVENT HPV Cancers Act of 2025 — Sponsors a bill to expand HPV vaccination and cancer-prevention efforts.Sources: Kathy Castor - Congress.gov
- ICE reform with guardrails — Called for reforms to Immigration and Customs Enforcement with protections against abuses.
- Grid modernization — Sponsored the Advancing GETs Act to encourage grid-enhancing technologies.Sources: Kathy Castor - Congress.gov
- Contraception access — Voted for the Right to Contraception Act.
Record: votes, actions and documented facts
- Voted against H.R. 1, the 2025 reconciliation law (all House Democrats voted no).
- Voted against the Laken Riley Act (Jan. 2025) and its 2024 predecessor.
- Voted no on a 2026 extension of Department of Homeland Security funding.Sources: Kathy Castor news - castor.house.gov
- Voted for the Bipartisan Safer Communities Act (2022) and the Inflation Reduction Act (2022).Sources: Kathy Castor - Ballotpedia
- Chaired the House Select Committee on the Climate Crisis.Sources: Kathy Castor - Wikipedia