Campaign News

TAMPA, Fla. – Congresswoman Kathy Castor (D-FL) appears to have been caught misleading the Tampa Bay area community on Thursday after being asked by Tampa media outlets about her illegal entry into a Tampa polling station.

Castor, who is under criminal investigation by detectives from the Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office, had a representative respond to Tampa media outlets with a statement claiming that she was there to vote.

“Last week Congresswoman Castor encouraged the press and voters to join her at the Jan Platt library to encourage voters to take advantage of the convenience of early voting,” the Castor statement read. “Unfortunately, she did not have what she needed at the time to vote, and like any voter who enters a polling place and does not have what they need, she exited.”

The problem for Castor is that the statement above is in direct contradiction to a statement written last week by a clerk from the Hillsborough County Supervisor of Elections Office.

TAMPA, Fla. – James Judge, the Republican nominee for Florida’s 14^th Congressional District, is scheduled to hold a press conference at 10:00 a.m. Thursday to address allegations of criminal misconduct by his opponent, Congresswoman Kathy Castor (D-FL).

During the press conference, Judge will discuss what he knows about the Tampa Police criminal investigation into Castor, who allegedly entered the early voting polling place at Jan Kaminis Platt Regional Library illegally in Tampa last week. After entering the polling place, Castor was subsequently removed by election workers, according to a report filed by a clerk with the Hillsborough County Supervisor of Elections Office.

The Republican nominee for Florida’s 14^th Congressional District has called on his Democrat opponent to debate him since Sept. 12.

TAMPA, Fla. – Wednesday marked the 50^th day that Democrat incumbent Kathy Castor has refused to debate James Judge, the Republican nominee for the U.S. House of Representatives in Florida’s 14^th Congressional District, the Judge campaign announced in a news release Wednesday.

News of Castor’s continued refusal to debate follows reports on Tuesday that Castor violated Florida election laws by reportedly entering and campaigning at an early-voting polling location in South Tampa last week. It is against the law for candidates to attempt to interfere with elections in Florida by intimidating voters or campaigning within 150 feet of a polling station.

TAMPA, Fla. – Congresswoman Kathy Castor (D-FL) illegally entered an early voting polling place in Tampa last week and was subsequently removed, according to a report filed with the Hillsborough County Supervisor of Elections.

The reported incident took place at Jan Kaminis Platt Regional Library in South Tampa. Castor, who was not there to cast a vote, reportedly entered through the exit with a news media crew embedded with her campaign.

Castor violated the 150-foot exclusion zone, which prohibits candidates and campaign officials from campaigning at polling locations and is a violation of the law. Additionally, walking in through the exit is also in itself a violation of Florida election laws.

Former St. Petersburg Mayor Rick Baker endorsed James Judge for Congress on Monday. In the last week, Judge also earned the endorsements of the Florida Police Benevolent Association and Senator Rick Scott.

ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. – Former St. Petersburg Mayor Rick Baker, who was extremely popular with bi-partisan support during his tenure and once called “America’s best mayor” by the Daily Beast, endorsed James Judge for Congress, the Judge campaign announced Monday.

Judge is running an energetic, grassroots campaign to represent the cities of Tampa and St. Petersburg in the U.S. House of Representatives and to replace liberal Democrat Rep. Kathy Castor (D-FL), who has been in office since 2006.

“James Judge understands that the average American is suffering under the results of the current Democrat Party leadership – high inflation, plunging retirement savings, rampant crime in our cities, and open borders,” said Baker. “He is committed to bringing conservative leadership to Congress – his first vote will be to remove Nancy Pelosi from the Speaker’s chair.”

A poll conducted in Florida’s 14^th Congressional District shows the Republican nominee, James Judge, handily defeating incumbent Democrat Rep. Kathy Castor. Judge was recently endorsed by law enforcement statewide, while Castor has received zero endorsements from law enforcement this election.

TAMPA, Fla. – In a survey conducted by James Judge’s campaign for the U.S. House of Representatives in Florida’s 14^th Congressional District, the vast majority of respondents said they plan to vote for Judge in the upcoming Nov. 8 election.

Of those surveyed, 72 percent said they plan to vote for Judge on election day. Only 20 percent said they will vote for Castor, while eight percent said they will vote for someone else.

The Republican nominee for Florida’s 14^th Congressional District has called on his Democrat opponent to debate him since Sept. 12.

TAMPA, Fla. – Today marks the 45^th day that Democrat incumbent Kathy Castor has refused to debate James Judge, the Republican nominee for the U.S. House of Representatives in Florida’s 14^th Congressional District, the Judge campaign said in news release Friday.

“We had hoped that Castor would honor her promise to debate before early voting began, but she has yet again failed to demonstrate the qualities of a respectable leader by breaking another promise and reenforcing a widespread understanding that her word has zero credibility,” said Judge. “The real loss here is that Tampa Bay area voters have been denied the opportunity to hear from their elected representative, which demonstrates her absolute and total lack of accountability.”

TAMPA, Fla. – Senator Rick Scott, who also served as the 45^th governor of Florida, endorsed James Judge, the Republican nominee in the race for Florida’s 14^th Congressional District on Thursday.

“I encourage everyone in the 14^th Congressional District to vote for James Judge,” Scott said. “He will help Republicans take back the House and fire Pelosi! I’m proud to endorse James!”

As Tampa’s murder rate and violent crime rate continues to skyrocket, not a single sheriff, law enforcement agency or organization has endorsed Castor’s campaign, while Judge has received numerous endorsements by those in local and state law enforcement.

TAMPA, Fla. – The organization that represents more than 26,000 Florida law enforcement officers has decided to endorse James Judge for the U.S. House of Representatives in Florida’s 14^th Congressional District, the Judge campaign announced Thursday.

On Wednesday evening, the Florida Police Benevolent Association, “the Voice of Florida’s Law Enforcement Officers,” notified Judge of their endorsement.