Katherine Anne Castor (born August 20, 1966) is an American politician and lawyer currently representing in the United States House of Representatives, serving since 2007. The district, numbered as the 11th district from 2007 to 2013, is based in Tampa. A Democrat, Castor was a member of the Hillsborough County Commission. The daughter of former Florida state senator, president of the University of South Florida, and Florida education commissioner Betty Castor, Kathy Castor was born in Miami and raised in Tampa. She graduated from Emory College and the Florida State University College of Law. After law school, Castor primarily worked in public administration law. She was first elected to the House in 2006 and has been reelected seven times. Early life Castor was born in Miami. Her mother, Betty Castor (née Elizabeth Bowe), is a former University of South Florida president, a former Hillsborough County commissioner, a former Florida state senator, a former Florida education commissioner, and a 2004 U.S. Senate candidate. Her father, Donald F. Castor, was a Hillsborough County judge and died in April 2013. Castor was raised in Tampa and graduated from Chamberlain High School in 1984. She holds a bachelor's degree in political science from Emory University (1988) and a J.D. from Florida State University College of Law (1991). She is a member of Delta Delta Delta sorority. Legal career Castor began her legal career as assistant general counsel to the Florida Department of Community Affairs. She is the former president of the Florida Association of Women Lawyers and partner in a statewide law firm. In 2005, Castor was named the Tampa Bay Business Journal's Woman of the Year in government. Early political career Castor served on the Hillsborough County Board of Commissioners from 2002 to 2006. Her primary focus was on health care. She worked to stop seniors and other patients in Hillsborough County's health care plan from being forced into HMOs. U.S. House of Representatives Elections 2006 Castor entered the race for what was then the 11th district when five-term incumbent Jim Davis chose to run for governor (he lost to Charlie Crist in November). Castor won the September 5 Democratic primary—the real contest in what has long been the only safe Democratic district on Florida's Gulf Coast—defeating State Senator Les Miller, Al Fox, Scott Farrell, and Michael Steinberg. She received 54% of the vote, a full 20 points ahead of Miller in the