Kathy Castor joins 40 House Democrats who declined to sign letter on Omar raid
The letter, sent October 26, demanded the Justice Department halt actions affecting the election, but Florida’s Castor and two colleagues held back.
By Sarah Ross ·
Tampa Representative Kathy Castor was one of 40 House Democrats who did not sign a letter criticizing the federal government’s early morning raid on Ilhan Omar’s home. The letter, sent to Attorney General Todd Blanche and Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin on October 26, was signed by 175 members of Congress. It expressed unequivocal opposition to the October 12 raid and asked the administration to refrain from taking further actions that could influence upcoming elections.
The federal inquiry into Omar, who is running for reelection in Minnesota, centers on her 2009 marriage to Ahmed Nur Said Elmi. The investigation looks into whether the marriage was intended to help him obtain a green card. The New York Times reported that this specific accusation was widely debunked during Omar’s first campaign for elected office in 2016. The letter described the use of federal law enforcement against Omar as a weaponization that left signers profoundly alarmed.
Castor was not the only Florida representative whose signature was missing from the correspondence. Darren Soto from District 9 and Jared Moskowitz from District 23 also did not join the effort. It remains unclear exactly why Castor chose not to sign, and her office was reached for comment but had not responded as of publication.
Castor is currently campaigning against Republican Michael Beltran in Congressional District 14. She has a history of maintaining distance from the progressive wing of the Democratic Party. Last September, she was one of only two Florida Democrats to join Republicans in passing a bill condemning Democratic Socialism. On a recent WMNF radio debate early this month, she reaffirmed her position on that vote.
During the debate, Castor stated that she rejects socialism. She noted that she crossed the aisle to condemn the ideology in all its forms. She added that too many neighbors in the Tampa Bay area fled socialism and authoritarianism, and that she has listened closely to their stories.
Source: Creative Loafing Tampa Bay
