U.S. House, Florida 14th Congressional District · Election November 3, 2026 · Updated
Who should I vote for in Florida's 14th Congressional District?
Kathy Castor has the strongest record in Florida's 14th Congressional District. Kathy Castor scores 64 out of 100 on the Ballot Standard, ahead of Mike Beltran at 58, as of October 9, 2026. Kathy Castor's highest marks are relevant experience and command of the job. Mike Beltran's highest marks are relevant experience and roots in the constituency. Salomon Hernandez Sr. (1 of 15 criteria), Brian Lambert (7 of 15 criteria) and Keith Varian (1 of 15 criteria) have too little public record to score. Every score comes from public records on character, qualifications and performance, the same way for every party.
Republican
Mike Beltran
58 / 100
Public evidence on 9 of 15 criteria
- Character
- 50
- Qualifications
- 65
- Performance
- NR
Democratic · incumbent
Strongest record
Kathy Castor
64 / 100
Public evidence on 14 of 15 criteria
- Character
- 55
- Qualifications
- 85
- Performance
- 50
Write-in
Salomon Hernandez Sr.
Not enough public record for a score
Public evidence on 1 of 15 criteria
- Character
- NR
- Qualifications
- 50
- Performance
- NR
Libertarian
Brian Lambert
Not enough public record for a score
Public evidence on 7 of 15 criteria
- Character
- 50
- Qualifications
- 55
- Performance
- NR
Write-in
Keith Varian
Not enough public record for a score
Public evidence on 1 of 15 criteria
- Character
- NR
- Qualifications
- 50
- Performance
- NR
The good, the bad and the unresolved
The record
The notable facts of each candidate's public life, each tied to a source and confirmed to be this person. Unresolved matters are labeled with where they stand and do not move a score.
Mike Beltran
- On the record2026-10-02
Debated Rep. Kathy Castor on WMNF radio on Oct. 2, 2026, and pressed her to accept additional televised debates.
Sources: WMNF 88.5 FM, Oct. 2, 2026, Tampa Bay Times via Yahoo News, Oct. 2, 2026, Tampa Bay Times via Yahoo News, Sept. 24, 2026
- Credit2018-11-06
Served three terms in the Florida House representing District 70 in Hillsborough County, November 2018 to November 2024.
Kathy Castor
- On the record2026-10-02
Debated Mike Beltran on WMNF radio on Oct. 2, 2026; she accepted two debate invitations, and Beltran faulted her for not accepting two more offered by TV stations.
Sources: WMNF 88.5 FM, Oct. 2, 2026, Tampa Bay Times via Yahoo News, Oct. 2, 2026, Tampa Bay Times via Yahoo News, Sept. 24, 2026
- On the record2025
Voted Nay on the GENIUS Act, which Democratic Leader Jeffries supported, and Yea on the resolution disapproving Rep. Chuy Garcia's conduct, which Jeffries opposed.
Sources: House Clerk Roll Call 200, 2025, House Clerk Roll Call 292, 2025
- On the record2021-01-06
Voted Nay on both January 2021 objections to the Arizona and Pennsylvania electoral votes.
Sources: House Clerk Roll Call 10, Jan. 6, 2021, House Clerk Roll Call 11, Jan. 7, 2021
- Credit2019
Sponsored the ACE Kids Act of 2019 (H.R. 1226), on Medicaid coordinated care for children with complex medical conditions, which was enacted in the 116th Congress.
Source: GovTrack, enacted legislation
- Credit2010
Served on the House Ethics Committee adjudicatory subcommittee in the Rep. Charles Rangel matter.
Source: House Committee on Ethics, statement on Rep. Charles B. Rangel
Salomon Hernandez Sr.
No notable items confirmed in news archives or public documents.
Brian Lambert
No notable items confirmed in news archives or public documents.
Keith Varian
No notable items confirmed in news archives or public documents.
Who they are
Character
Integrity
Tells the truth, keeps their word, and takes no private gain from public office.
Mike Beltran. Filed a House candidate financial disclosure in June 2026, and campaign reports are on file with the FEC through July 29, 2026. No FEC administrative fine or ethics finding found.
Sources: House Clerk candidate financial disclosure, Filing ID 10079994, FEC candidate page, FEC administrative fines search
Kathy Castor. Her 2025 annual financial disclosure was filed May 24, 2026, after an extension. No House Ethics Committee matter naming her as respondent and no FEC administrative fine found.
Sources: House Clerk financial disclosure, Filing ID 10076959, FEC administrative fines search
Salomon Hernandez Sr.. No public record found.
Brian Lambert. Filed a House candidate financial disclosure in September 2026, and campaign reports are on file with the FEC through June 30, 2026. No FEC administrative fine found.
Sources: House Clerk candidate financial disclosure, Filing ID 10082886, FEC candidate page, FEC administrative fines search
Keith Varian. No public record found.
Courage
Takes a stand that costs them something, including telling their own side no.
Mike Beltran. No public record found.
Kathy Castor. Voted against Democratic Leader Jeffries on the 2025 GENIUS Act and for the 2025 resolution disapproving Rep. Chuy Garcia's conduct, which Jeffries, Whip Clark and Caucus Chair Aguilar opposed.
Sources: House Clerk Roll Call 200, 2025, GENIUS Act, House Clerk Roll Call 292, 2025
Salomon Hernandez Sr.. No public record found.
Brian Lambert. No public record found.
Keith Varian. No public record found.
Accountability
Owns mistakes, answers hard questions, and works in the open.
Mike Beltran. Took part in a June 2026 Republican primary debate in Tampa hosted by the Hillsborough GOP and Tampa Bay Young Republicans.
Source: WUSF, June 22, 2026
Kathy Castor. Debated Mike Beltran on WMNF radio on Oct. 2, 2026; her campaign said she accepted two debate invitations, while Beltran said she had not accepted two more offered by TV stations.
Sources: WMNF 88.5 FM, Oct. 2, 2026, Tampa Bay Times via Yahoo News, Sept. 24, 2026
Salomon Hernandez Sr.. No public record found.
Brian Lambert. No public record found.
Keith Varian. No public record found.
Temperament and judgment
Steady under pressure, decides on evidence, and treats opponents and staff with respect.
Mike Beltran. Served three terms in the Florida House, 2018 to 2024. No censure, reprimand or conduct finding found.
Kathy Castor. Served on the Hillsborough County Commission from 2002 to 2006 and in Congress since 2007, including on a House Ethics adjudicatory subcommittee. No censure or conduct finding found.
Sources: Ballotpedia, Kathy Castor, House Committee on Ethics, statement on Rep. Charles B. Rangel
Salomon Hernandez Sr.. No public record found.
Brian Lambert. No public record found.
Keith Varian. No public record found.
Fidelity to the oath
Uses power inside its limits: accepts certified results, obeys court rulings, follows the rules of the office.
Mike Beltran. Held sworn office as a Florida state representative from 2018 to 2024. No official finding of misuse of office found.
Source: Ballotpedia, Mike Beltran
Kathy Castor. Voted Nay on both January 2021 objections to the Arizona and Pennsylvania electoral votes and made no objection at the January 2017 count. No misuse-of-office finding found.
Sources: House Clerk Roll Call 10, Jan. 6, 2021, House Clerk Roll Call 11, Jan. 7, 2021
Salomon Hernandez Sr.. No public record found.
Brian Lambert. Served 20 years in the Navy, 1998 to 2018. No official finding of misuse of office found.
Source: Ballotpedia, Brian Lambert
Keith Varian. No public record found.
What they bring
Qualifications
Relevant experience
Has done work that prepares them for this specific office.
Mike Beltran. Served three terms in the Florida House, representing District 70 in Hillsborough County from 2018 to 2024; a Harvard-trained lawyer.
Kathy Castor. In Congress since 2007, seeking an eleventh term, after serving on the Hillsborough County Commission from 2002 to 2006.
Salomon Hernandez Sr.. No public record found.
Brian Lambert. Twenty-year Navy career as an aircraft mechanic, flight engineer and intelligence specialist. Has not held public office.
Keith Varian. No public record found.
Command of the job
Knows the issues and knows what the office can and cannot do.
Mike Beltran. His Ballotpedia survey and debate remarks set out positions in general terms.
Source: Ballotpedia, Mike Beltran
Kathy Castor. Ranking member of the Energy and Commerce Committee's Energy Subcommittee, with seats on its commerce and communications subcommittees and the China select committee.
Source: GovTrack, committee membership
Salomon Hernandez Sr.. No public record found.
Brian Lambert. Campaign site and Ballotpedia survey state libertarian positions on constitutional limits, liberty and fiscal responsibility, in general terms.
Source: Campaign site, home page
Keith Varian. No public record found.
Communication
Explains plainly, persuades, and listens.
Mike Beltran. Completed Ballotpedia's 2026 survey and took part in a primary debate. His campaign site returns 403 to automated readers.
Sources: Ballotpedia, Mike Beltran, WUSF, June 22, 2026
Kathy Castor. Publishes newsletters, opinion pieces and issue pages and offers email updates. Has not completed Ballotpedia's 2026 survey.
Salomon Hernandez Sr.. Answered Tampa Bay 28's 2026 candidate questionnaire (biography and three issue questions).
Source: Tampa Bay 28 (WFTS), 2026 questionnaire, District 14
Brian Lambert. Completed Ballotpedia's 2026 survey and publishes issue positions and campaign updates on his site.
Sources: Ballotpedia, Brian Lambert, Campaign site, home page
Keith Varian. Completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey in 2025.
Source: Ballotpedia, Keith Varian
Roots in the constituency
Lives there, knows the people, and is funded by them.
Mike Beltran. Moved to Florida about 17 years ago and represented part of Hillsborough County in the Legislature for six years. FEC by-state totals show about 65 percent of itemized individual contributions from Florida.
Sources: Ballotpedia, Mike Beltran, survey, WUSF, June 22, 2026, FEC contribution totals by state
Kathy Castor. Raised in Tampa, a graduate of Tampa's Chamberlain High School, and a former Hillsborough County commissioner. FEC by-state totals show about 53 percent of itemized individual contributions from Florida.
Sources: Ballotpedia, Kathy Castor, FEC contribution totals by state
Salomon Hernandez Sr.. No public record found.
Brian Lambert. Lists a Dover address in eastern Hillsborough County with the state. One itemized contribution, $3,500 of $10,500 itemized, came from Florida.
Sources: Florida Division of Elections, candidate detail, FEC contribution totals by state
Keith Varian. No public record found.
Management
Can build and run an organization.
Mike Beltran. Campaign reports are on file with the FEC through July 29, 2026, and he operates his own business. No FEC administrative fine found.
Sources: FEC candidate page, FEC administrative fines search
Kathy Castor. Campaign reports are on file with the FEC through July 29, 2026. No FEC administrative fine found.
Sources: FEC candidate page, FEC administrative fines search
Salomon Hernandez Sr.. No public record found.
Brian Lambert. Campaign reports are on file with the FEC through June 30, 2026. No FEC administrative fine found.
Sources: FEC candidate page, FEC administrative fines search
Keith Varian. No public record found.
What they deliver
Performance
Results
Turns ideas into outcomes.
Mike Beltran. No public record found.
Kathy Castor. Legislative Effectiveness Score of 0.617 in the 118th Congress against a benchmark of 0.556, meets expectations. Her last enacted sponsored bill, the ACE Kids Act, dates from the 116th Congress.
Sources: Center for Effective Lawmaking House dataset, 93rd to 118th Congress, GovTrack, enacted legislation
Salomon Hernandez Sr.. No public record found.
Brian Lambert. No public record found.
Keith Varian. No public record found.
Showing up
Does the basic work of the job.
Mike Beltran. No public record found.
Kathy Castor. Missed 395 of 12,745 roll call votes, 3.1 percent, from January 2007 to September 2026.
Source: GovTrack, missed votes
Salomon Hernandez Sr.. No public record found.
Brian Lambert. No public record found.
Keith Varian. No public record found.
Constituent service
Solves problems for the people they represent.
Mike Beltran. No public record found.
Kathy Castor. Runs district offices in Tampa and St. Petersburg and takes casework requests. No published casework totals found.
Sources: Office site, Office Locations, Office site, home page
Salomon Hernandez Sr.. No public record found.
Brian Lambert. No public record found.
Keith Varian. No public record found.
Coalition building
Wins support beyond their own faction.
Mike Beltran. No public record found.
Kathy Castor. Lugar Center Bipartisan Index score of -0.48177 in the latest posted House scores (118th Congress, 2023), ranked 223 of 436; negative, not in the bottom quarter.
Source: Lugar Center and McCourt School Bipartisan Index, House Scores
Salomon Hernandez Sr.. No public record found.
Brian Lambert. No public record found.
Keith Varian. No public record found.
Stewardship of public money
Treats tax dollars as someone else's money.
Mike Beltran. No public record found.
Kathy Castor. No public record found.
Salomon Hernandez Sr.. No public record found.
Brian Lambert. No public record found.
Keith Varian. No public record found.
How to read this
Each criterion is scored 0 to 4 against the written rubric in the Ballot Standard. NR means no record: there is no reliable public evidence either way, so the criterion is left out and never counts against the candidate. A total is published when at least 8 of 15 criteria have evidence.
A sitting officeholder has a longer public record than a first-time candidate, so the two totals rest on different amounts of evidence. Read the count of criteria beside each score. Low marks require an official finding or a primary record. Allegations and opinion are not used.
No policy position is scored. Evidence checked October 9, 2026. Campaigns and readers can send a correction with a public source to tpg@thepoliticalgroup.com.
Questions
Who should I vote for in Florida's 14th Congressional District?
Kathy Castor has the strongest record in Florida's 14th Congressional District. Kathy Castor scores 64 out of 100 on the Ballot Standard, ahead of Mike Beltran at 58, as of October 9, 2026. Kathy Castor's highest marks are relevant experience and command of the job. Mike Beltran's highest marks are relevant experience and roots in the constituency. Salomon Hernandez Sr. (1 of 15 criteria), Brian Lambert (7 of 15 criteria) and Keith Varian (1 of 15 criteria) have too little public record to score. Every score comes from public records on character, qualifications and performance, the same way for every party.
Who is running in Florida's 14th Congressional District in 2026?
Mike Beltran (Republican), Kathy Castor (Democratic, incumbent), Salomon Hernandez Sr. (Write-in), Brian Lambert (Libertarian), Keith Varian (Write-in). The general election is November 3, 2026.
Is Mike Beltran a good candidate for Congress?
Mike Beltran scores 58 out of 100 on the Ballot Standard, with public evidence on 9 of 15 criteria: character 50 of 100, qualifications 65 of 100, performance no record. The standard measures character, qualifications and performance, not policy positions.
Is Kathy Castor a good candidate for Congress?
Kathy Castor scores 64 out of 100 on the Ballot Standard, with public evidence on 14 of 15 criteria: character 55 of 100, qualifications 85 of 100, performance 50 of 100. The standard measures character, qualifications and performance, not policy positions.
Is Salomon Hernandez Sr. a good candidate for Congress?
Salomon Hernandez Sr. has public evidence on 1 of the 15 Ballot Standard criteria, short of the 8 needed for a score. The evidence that exists is shown on the scorecard. No record never counts against a candidate.
Is Brian Lambert a good candidate for Congress?
Brian Lambert has public evidence on 7 of the 15 Ballot Standard criteria, short of the 8 needed for a score. The evidence that exists is shown on the scorecard. No record never counts against a candidate.
Is Keith Varian a good candidate for Congress?
Keith Varian has public evidence on 1 of the 15 Ballot Standard criteria, short of the 8 needed for a score. The evidence that exists is shown on the scorecard. No record never counts against a candidate.
How is the strongest record decided?
The candidate with the highest Ballot Standard score has the strongest record. Each of 15 criteria on character, qualifications and performance is scored 0 to 4 from public records and established reporting, the same way for every party. No policy position is scored, and unresolved accusations never move a score.
More on this race: every Florida race scored, the trailing candidate's path to victory, and the Florida 2026 election guide. Independent scorecard by The Political Group, not affiliated with any candidate or party.