Print

Email story

Comment

Email editor

Kathy Castor

Democrat U.S. Congress District 11

Kathy Castor, a conservative Democrat, is a good fit for this open seat. As a Hillsborough County commissioner, she promoted health care, mass transit and the environment while reaching across party lines to work with Republicans to create better jobs, improve public safety and rebuild struggling neighborhoods.

The 40-year-old attorney would bring the same seriousness and tone to Washington. She grasps the need to change course in Iraq, bring fiscal sanity to the budget and offer illegal immigrants a legal path to citizenship. Castor's strong work ethic and interest in policy give her an edge in the debate over health care reform. She opposes privatizing Social Security and would simplify Medicare's prescription drug benefit. As a board member of Tampa Bay's water utility, Castor also saw the value of regional cooperation, which would help her balance the needs of a district that extends from Tampa to south St. Petersburg and northern Manatee.

Her Republican opponent, Temple Terrace architect Eddie Adams Jr., 53, has not framed his views on pressing national and international issues. Much of his agenda, from regulatory relief to improving vo-tech education, is better pursued at the local level. Two write-in candidates also qualified for the ballot.

In U.S. House District 11, the Times recommends Kathy Castor.

[Last modified October 16, 2006, 02:23:01]