Kathy Castor Bio
Katherine Anne Castor (born August 20, 1966) is an American politician and lawyer who has represented Florida in the United States House of Representatives since 2007. A member of the Democratic Party, she currently serves the 14th congressional district, a Tampa-based seat that was numbered as the 11th district from 2007 to 2013. Before coming to Congress, she served on the Hillsborough County Commission and has built a reputation as a leading voice on climate policy, health care, and gun safety.
Castor was born in Miami and raised in Tampa, the daughter of prominent Florida public servants. She has focused much of her career on issues affecting Florida families, including education funding, indigent health care, and environmental protection. In addition to her legislative work, she has chaired the House Select Committee on the Climate Crisis, helping to shape federal policy on climate change.
Early Life and Background
Katherine Anne Castor was born on August 20, 1966, in Miami, Florida. She is the daughter of Donald F. Castor, a Hillsborough County judge who passed away in April 2013, and Betty Castor, a former Florida state senator, Florida education commissioner, and president of the University of South Florida. Raised in Tampa, she graduated from Chamberlain High School in 1984.
Coming from a family with deep roots in Florida public service shaped Castor’s early interest in law and government. Her mother’s career in education and elected office, along with her father’s service on the county bench, exposed her to civic life from a young age. This environment encouraged her to pursue higher education and a career in public advocacy.
Castor attended Emory University, where she earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in political science in 1988. She went on to receive her Juris Doctor from the Florida State University College of Law in 1991. During her time in college, she became a member of the Delta Delta Delta sorority, an experience that connected her to a broad network of women leaders.
Path to US Politics
After law school, Castor primarily worked in public administration law, building a professional foundation in the legal frameworks that govern local government. She practiced in the Tampa Bay area, focusing on issues affecting municipalities and public agencies. This work gave her direct insight into how policy decisions affect everyday residents in her home region.
Castor’s entry into elected office came in 2002, when she joined the Hillsborough County Board of Commissioners. She served on the commission until 2006, gaining hands-on experience with local budgeting, land use, and public health. During this period, she became known for defending funding for the county’s indigent health care plan, foreshadowing her later focus on health policy in Congress.
Her work on the county commission, combined with her legal background, positioned Castor to run for federal office. In 2006, she entered the race for Florida’s 11th congressional district after five-term incumbent Jim Davis launched a campaign for governor. She won the Democratic primary decisively and went on to claim the general election with 70 percent of the vote, becoming the first woman to represent the Tampa Bay area in Congress.
Kathy Castor Career
Early Career (2002–2006)
Kathy Castor’s early political career centered on her service with the Hillsborough County Board of Commissioners from 2002 to 2006. She built a record of advocacy on local issues ranging from transportation and education funding to environmental protection. Her defense of the county’s indigent health care plan established her as a champion for vulnerable residents.
During this period, Castor also took early stands on civil rights. In 2005, she was the lone Hillsborough County commissioner to vote against a resolution banning gay pride activities and events, a position the commission later reversed unanimously in 2013. This early act of independence foreshadowed her later congressional support for LGBTQ+ rights.
U.S. House of Representatives Breakthrough (2007–2010)
Castor was sworn in to the U.S. House of Representatives in 2007, representing Florida’s 11th congressional district. Her first committee assignment was the House Armed Services Committee, where she voted to redeploy U.S. troops out of Iraq that same year. She also supported the GI Bill for the 21st century, which restored full four-year college scholarships to veterans of the Iraq and Afghanistan wars.
In 2008, Castor was the only Democratic member of Congress from Florida to vote against the Emergency Economic Stabilization Act, often called the bailout bill. She argued the legislation did not provide enough help to middle-class families facing housing pressures. Instead, she championed the Neighborhood Stabilization Program and supported the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009, which she called the lifeline that really saved the economy and which directed significant infrastructure investment to the Tampa Bay area.
Climate Crisis Leadership (2011–2020)
After the 2010 census, Castor’s district was renumbered the 14th, but it remained a safe Democratic seat. She won reelection in 2012 with 70.2 percent of the vote. Throughout this period, she served on the House Energy and Commerce Committee, where she worked on health care reform, including efforts to educate Floridians about the Affordable Care Act and to expand Medicaid access.
Castor became a leading congressional voice on climate change, eventually chairing the House Select Committee on the Climate Crisis. In this role, she helped drive the movement to allocate federal funding for climate-related programs. She also continued her advocacy for gun control, participating in a 2016 Congressional sit-in led by John Lewis to demand that individuals on the No Fly List be prohibited from purchasing firearms, and supporting a ban on high-capacity magazines and the Federal Assault Weapons Ban.
Continued Service and Recent Work (2021–Present)
In June 2021, Castor joined 267 of her colleagues in voting to repeal the Authorization for Use of Military Force Against Iraq Resolution of 2002. She argued the vote was a step toward reclaiming Congress’s constitutional authority over military action. She has also co-sponsored and voted for the Equality Act in 2019 and 2021 to prohibit discrimination based on sexual orientation and gender identity.
Castor voted to impeach President Donald Trump on December 18, 2019, and has continued to focus on climate, health, and consumer protection. In November 2025, she proposed legislation to ban power companies from using ratepayer revenues for lobbying and campaign donations. She is also a vocal supporter of normalizing relations between the United States and Cuba, having visited the country in April 2013.
Notable Events and Milestones
Among Castor’s most notable achievements is her service as chair of the House Select Committee on the Climate Crisis, a role that has positioned her as a national leader on climate policy. She was the first woman to represent the Tampa Bay area in Congress, and her 2006 victory marked a milestone for representation in the region. Her repeated wins, including a 60 percent showing in 2018, reflect sustained voter support across multiple election cycles.
Kathy Castor Career Wins
Kathy Castor has built a long record of electoral success since her first run for Congress in 2006. She has won every general election by comfortable margins, reflecting the Democratic lean of her Tampa-based district. Her victories span multiple redistricting cycles and have included both competitive primaries and dominant general-election performances.
U.S. House Election Highlights
Castor’s first congressional victory came in 2006, when she won the general election with 70 percent of the vote against Republican Eddie Adams Jr. She won the 2008 rematch with Republican Mike Prendergast by a 60–40 margin, the best Republican showing in the district since 1994. After redistricting, she won the newly numbered 14th district in 2012 with 70.2 percent of the vote.
She later defeated Republican Christine Quinn in both 2016 and 2018, with vote shares of 61.79 percent and 60.26 percent, respectively. These consistent wins have made her one of the most durable members of Florida’s congressional delegation.
Other Wins & Achievements
Beyond electoral success, Castor has achieved recognition for her legislative leadership, particularly on climate policy. Her chairmanship of the House Select Committee on the Climate Crisis and her co-founding of the bipartisan Children’s Health Care Caucus with Representative Dave Reichert stand out as signature accomplishments. She has also been endorsed by major political organizations, including EMILY’s List, the League of Conservation Voters, and The Tampa Tribune.
Kathy Castor Family
Family Background and Political Lineage
Kathy Castor comes from a family with a deep tradition of public service in Florida. Her mother, Betty Castor, is a former Florida state senator, former Florida education commissioner, former Hillsborough County commissioner, former president of the University of South Florida, and a 2004 U.S. Senate candidate. Her father, Donald F. Castor, was a Hillsborough County judge who died in April 2013.
This family background gave Castor early exposure to law, education policy, and electoral politics. Despite sharing a surname, she is not related to Jane Castor, the mayor of Tampa since 2019 and former Tampa police chief.
Personal Life
Kathy Castor is married to William Lewis. She is a Presbyterian. Her long service in Florida politics has kept her closely tied to the Tampa community, where she was raised and continues to base her congressional work.