From touchdown infrastructure {dollars} to serving to constituents entry hurricane aid, Tampa Bay advantages from a robust contingent in Washington. And arguably, nobody has served the area extra reliably than U.S. Rep. Kathy Castor.
Whether or not she’s advocating for financial engines like Port Tampa Bay, the Tampa Worldwide Airport, or MacDill Air Drive base, or she’s serving to information environmental and vitality coverage to guard America’s nationwide sources coast to coast, Castor constantly places herself in a central place in coverage conversations. That’s not for time within the highlight, however so she could be as efficient as potential.
The file of outcomes landed her this yr on the listing of Tampa Bay’s Most Highly effective Politicians in the next spot than every other federal official. That’s particularly spectacular as the one one in every of Tampa Bay’s U.S. representatives within the Democratic minority.
In fact, with Democratic voters energized forward of subsequent yr’s Midterms after President Donald Trump’s return to the White Home, many anticipate Home Democrats to reclaim a majority. If that occurs, Castor can be positioned for a robust management place.
The Tampa Democrat additionally serves because the rating Democrat on the House Energy and Commerce Energy Subcommittee, the place she has advocated for insurance policies that cut back vitality prices and improve sustainability efforts nationwide. She’s going to seemingly seize the gavel if Democrats have a profitable election subsequent yr.
“Kathy will get outcomes that straight enhance lives right here at residence,” stated Reggie Cardozo, President of The Public Sq..
“Along with her social gathering on observe to take the bulk, Castor is positioned to chair or function rating member of key subcommittees — particularly the Power Subcommittee of the Home Power & Commerce Committee, meaning higher entry to shaping federal funding and legislative priorities that straight profit our area — whether or not it’s securing clear vitality investments, hurricanes resilience funding, Medicaid enlargement, or infrastructure grants. Briefly: when Kathy rises in management, Tampa Bay rises together with her.”
Already, she has used her place to indicate the damaging impacts of the Trump administration’s drive for presidency effectivity and what that has price Tampa Bay. She’s lobbying the Labor Division now to reconsider closing its native Job Corps Heart in Pinellas County.
The Congresswoman has been an outspoken voice towards cuts on the Federal Emergency Administration Company, a very consequential change within the wake of one of many worst hurricane seasons for Tampa Bay in residing reminiscence.
Nonetheless, even whereas lobbying towards that change, she helped facilitate federal aid after a number of storms hit the area in 2024 and has continued to pursue reimbursements and speedy assist for affected communities.
“There’s a couple of motive Congresswoman Castor constantly outperforms the highest of the ticket. Whereas the Tampa Bay neighborhood confronted some of the devastating hurricane seasons of our lifetime, she canvassed the streets of these impacted, supported restoration efforts, and delivered catastrophe aid,” stated DeWayne Mallory, director of native and neighborhood affairs for RSA Consulting Group.
“By no means one to try to declare the credit score for herself, the Congresswoman has gone out of her approach to acknowledge neighborhood leaders and on a regular basis residents who stepped up after Hurricanes Helene and Milton.”
It’s no shock that Castor has proved to be a devoted public servant. She was surrounded rising up by revered elected officers from a previous technology. Her mom, Betty Castor, served as Florida Schooling Commissioner earlier than later turning into president of the College of South Florida, and her father, Donald Castor, who died in 2013, served as the primary government director of Bay Space Authorized Companies earlier than serving 20 years as a Hillsborough County Courtroom Decide.
The Congresswoman’s profession in public service began as an legal professional for the Florida Division of Neighborhood Affairs, the place she developed her critical environmental coverage chops. She served as an area authorities legal professional, the place she specialised in land use and environmental regulation.
She later gained election to the Hillsborough County Fee in 2002, the place she chaired the Environmental Safety Fee. The Democrat served one time period on that board earlier than efficiently pursuing federal workplace.
After Democrats gained management of the Home in 2018, then-Speaker Nancy Pelosi tapped Castor to go a Select Committee on the Climate Crisis, displaying each her status as a conservation coverage professional and her relationship with management on the time.
In that position, Castor performed a essential half in shaping the Inflation Discount Act, and he or she additionally helped safe substantial sums within the federal funds for infrastructure funding by the American Rescue Plan. A lot of the funding from these insurance policies was allotted to Tampa Bay, together with saved jobs and terminal construction at Tampa Worldwide Airport.
For veterans, she lobbied for a decade for a mattress tower at James A. Haley Veterans’ Hospital, and a ribbon-cutting lastly befell in 2023. Now, she’s spearheading laws to preserve access for veterans to applications funded within the Inexpensive Care Act.
“Congresswoman Kathy Castor is with out query some of the highly effective and efficient political leaders within the Tampa Bay area,” Cardozo stated. “Her seniority, deep relationships in Washington, and unwavering dedication to our neighborhood make her a drive for progress each domestically and nationally.”
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A particular due to RSA Consulting Group, the sponsor of this yr’s rankings. As for methodology, we outline the Tampa Bay area as Pinellas, Hillsborough, and Pasco, however we are able to additionally embody Hernando, Polk, or Sarasota if the politicians from these counties impression both Pinellas or Hillsborough. We outline a politician as being in workplace or operating for workplace. Being first on a panelist’s listing earns the politician 25 factors, second earns them 24 factors, and so forth, to the place being listed twenty fifth earns a politician one level. Factors are added and, voilà, we’ve a listing.
We additionally need to thank our skilled and educated panelists, who had been important to creating the 2025 listing: Vinik Household Workplace Chief of Workers Christina Barker; Mercury Public Affairs Managing Director Ashley Bauman; Matt Blair of Corcoran Companions; Reggie Cardozo of The Public Sq.; Stephanie Cardozo of The Southern Group; Shumaker, Loop & Kendrick managing accomplice Ron Christaldi; former state Sen. Janet Cruz; political guide/strategist Barry Edwards; Vicidial Group President Matt Florell; Dawn Consulting Group President Shawn Foster; businessman Michael Griffin; Clay Hollis of Tucker/Corridor; Natalie King of RSA Consulting Group; Moffitt Most cancers Heart VP of Public Affairs and Communications Merritt Martin; former state Rep. Seth McKeel of The Southern Group; political guide Chris Mitchell; Mike Moore of The Southern Group; RSA President and CEO Ron Pierce; Tucker/Corridor CEO Darren Richards; political guide Jim Rimes; political guide Preston Rudie of Catalyst Communications Group; TECO VP of State and Regional Affairs Stephanie Smith; lobbyist Alan Suskey of Shumaker Advisors; Doyle Walsh, Chief of Workers for St. Pete Mayor Ken Welch; and Michelle and Peter Schorsch, publishers of Florida Politics.
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