Castor, Kathy

Kathy Castor represents Florida's 14th congressional district and serves as Ranking Member of the House Energy Committee, a subcommittee of the broader Energy and Commerce Committee. As ranking member of the minority party, she leads Democratic opposition and priorities on energy policy, setting the agenda for her party's legislative and oversight efforts on this critical panel. The Energy Committee holds significant power over the nation's energy infrastructure, climate policy, and related regulatory matters.

Castor brings relevant expertise to this role through her background in law and public administration. She earned her law degree from Florida State University College of Law and worked primarily in public administration law before entering electoral politics. Her mother, Betty Castor, served as a Florida state senator and education commissioner, establishing a family tradition of public service. Castor herself served on the Hillsborough County Board of Commissioners from 2002 to 2006 before being elected to Congress in 2006, representing the Tampa-based district for nearly two decades.

As ranking member, Castor has focused on energy and environmental legislation. She has sponsored bills including the Energy Threat Analysis Center Act of 2026 and the CLEANER Act of 2025, reflecting her committee priorities. Beyond energy, she has advanced legislation on public health matters, including the PREVENT HPV Cancers Act and the Increasing Access to Lung Cancer Screening Act, demonstrating a broader legislative portfolio. She also serves on the House Select Committee on Strategic Competition with China, extending her influence beyond energy policy.

Castor represents a long-serving Democratic voice on energy and commerce issues, combining her legal background with nearly two decades of congressional experience to shape her party's positions on energy policy and related oversight matters.