Florida Attorney General James Uthmeier announced his endorsement of Rep. Kevin Steele (R-Dade City) in his bid for Florida's Congressional District 14 seat over the weekend.
"Kevin is a faith-driven leader who stands strong for law enforcement; he sponsored legislation to help prosecute more child predators and violent criminals, protect parental rights in education, and eliminate property taxes," Uthmeier wrote. "That’s why I’m endorsing @KevinSteeleFL for Congress!"
CD 14 includes southeastern Pinellas County western Hillsborough County, including most of Tampa on Florida's west coast. U.S. Rep. Kathy Castor (D-FL) has represented the district, formerly CD 11, since 2007.
Rep. Steele filed to run against Rep. Castor in May.
His move comes after Gov. Ron DeSantis signed into law a newly drawn congressional map approved by the Florida Legislature in April. DeSantis signed the bill into law in May.
"I filed. 14," Steele said to The Floridian at the time.
“Kathy Castor has been there 20 years and has done absolutely nothing for Americans. She has been nothing more than a Nancy Pelosi puppet,” added Steele in a statement to The Floridian. “We need America first individuals who bring a business mindset to Congress.”
Mike Beltran, a former member of the Florida House of Representatives, is also running on the Republican ticket along with several others in CD 14, including Dan Weldon. Juan Arauz is challenging Rep. Castor on the Democratic side.
While reports indicate Rep. Steele is spending a significant amount of cash on the race, an online betting side has him as a heavy favorite to defeat Beltran and other challengers in the field. Attorney General Uthmeier's endorsement is also a likely boost to Rep. Steele's odds given his prominence the state.
Steele, who has represented House District 55 since 2022, previously filed to run for Florida's Chief Financial Officer (CFO) against current CFO Blaise Ingoglia before dropping out in February.
