Democrat Kathy Castor won reelection to the U.S. House in Florida's 14th Congressional District on Tuesday, Nov. 3, defeating Republican Mike Beltran.

The Associated Press called the race at 8:13 p.m. EST. Castor secured an 11th term in a newly drawn, Republican-friendly district that included Ruskin and Apollo Beach for the first time.

Vote totals and the percentage of precincts reporting were not available in AP results at the time of the call. Official results from the Hillsborough County Supervisor of Elections had not been posted as of Nov. 5.

Castor was one of two Florida House Democrats who survived the GOP's redistricting strategy. The AP reported that Republicans fell short in their efforts to pick up four House seats in Florida through redrawn maps. Democratic Rep. Jared Moskowitz also won reelection in a nearby Republican-leaning district, according to the AP.

What redistricting changed

The old District 14 stretched across Tampa Bay to include St. Petersburg and parts of Pinellas County. The redrawn version sits entirely within Hillsborough County, pulling in Brandon, Plant City, Apollo Beach and Ruskin, according to a Tampa Bay Times district guide published in October.

Gov. Ron DeSantis signed the new boundaries into law May 4 after Florida's Republican-controlled Legislature approved a rare mid-decade redistricting.

The political math shifted dramatically. In the 2024 presidential election, Kamala Harris carried the old District 14 by nearly eight percentage points, 53.3% to 45.6%, according to Tampa Bay 28. Under the new lines, Donald Trump would have carried the redrawn district by more than 10 points, 54.7% to 44.2%.

Three national nonpartisan forecasters had rated the contest a toss-up before Election Day. The Cook Political Report, Inside Elections and Sabato's Crystal Ball all gave neither party a clear edge.

The candidates

Castor, seeking an 11th term, had to make her case to Hillsborough County voters she did not previously represent. Her campaign said she retained about 35% of her original district, the Florida Phoenix reported Oct. 20. She serves as ranking member on the House Energy and Commerce Committee's Energy Subcommittee.

Beltran, 42, is an attorney and Harvard Law School graduate who won an eight-person Republican primary Aug. 18 with about 46% of the vote. He served in the Florida House from 2018 to 2024, representing South and East Hillsborough County. Libertarian Brian Lambert, a retired U.S. Navy veteran who served 20 years, was also on the ballot.

Outside spending poured into the race. Third-party groups spent more than $7 million against Castor and more than $5.25 million against Beltran, according to the Florida Phoenix, citing spending tracker Midterm Mondays.

University of South Florida political scientist Susan MacManus had told Tampa Bay 28 before the election that unaffiliated voters would be key.

"It really is going to come down, frankly, to how well each of these candidates, but particularly the congresswoman, can reach into that large group of voters who are no party affiliation or belong to one of the minor parties," MacManus said.

This article will be updated when official vote totals from the Hillsborough County Supervisor of Elections become available.