Democrat Kathy Castor wins reelection in Florida 14th Congressional District

Democratic Representative Kathy Castor has won reelection to the United States House of Representatives in Florida's 14th Congressional District. The Washington Examiner and Florida Politics both reported that Castor defeated Republican challenger Mike Beltran. The Associated Press called the contest for Castor at 8:13 p.m., according to the Washington Examiner. NBC also projected a victory for Castor, Bloomberg.com reported. [1][4][6]

The Washington Examiner reported that Castor secured 51.2 percent of the vote compared to 45.9 percent for Beltran, with 97 percent of the votes counted. The contest in the district, which includes Tampa and the surrounding inland region, was viewed as a bellwether for whether Democratic incumbents can prevail in conservative suburban and rural areas. Both The Hill and Florida Politics reported that Castor maintained her seat despite state Republicans attempting to push her out through redrawn district boundaries. [1][5][6]

Castor is a lawyer and politician who has served as the United States representative for Florida's 14th Congressional District since 2007. The Tampa-based seat was designated as the 11th district between 2007 and 2013. Before entering Congress, Castor served as a member of the Hillsborough County Commission from 2002 until 2006. [8]