Democratic candidate Kimberly Walker is a U.S. Army and Air Force veteran and ardent healthcare advocate whose campaign is driven by the desire to fight for the health, safety, and well-being of all—not just the wealthy. Walker is running on a platform that includes fighting for universal healthcare (and for now, protecting the Affordable Care Act), implementing federal clean energy standards, protecting reproductive rights, and improving veteran support systems. If elected, Walker would flip the seat blue, unseating Republican incumbent Gus Bilirakis who was first elected to the U.S. House since 2007, and has represented Florida’s 12th congressional district since 2013. We recommend voting to bring new leadership to the U.S. House by electing Democrat Kimberly Walker.
District 13: Charlie Crist
In 2007, someone at an event asked St. Pete native: "Are you really a Republican?" It was a fair question. After all, his policy positions were generally not what one would associate with the GOP. He was very pro-environment, pro-public education and pro-science. At the time, his answer was a solid yes. Party of Lincoln, after all. Times have, indisputably, changed. These days, Crist, now a Democrat, is running against Anna Paulina Luna, a gun-loving, god-fearing Republican who’s hijacked every opportunity to feed red meat to GOP voters who’ve gone head over heels for Trump’s “no more bullshit,” facts-be-damned style of governance.
District 14: Kathy Castor
Democratic Congresswoman Kathy Castor—bearing no relation to Tampa Mayor Jane Castor—has represented Florida’s 14th congressional district since 2007. She’s been recognized as a national leader on environmental issues pertaining to the climate crisis, and in fact, was recently appointed to Presidential candidate Joe Biden’s Climate Change Task Force. Despite backtracking on progressive positions like Medicare for All—as an original member of the Medicare for All Congressional Caucus—Castor is a well-regarded Congresswoman who is more likely than her Republican opponent, second-time challenger Christine Quinn, to be an advocate on issues of environmental conservation, protecting reproductive rights, and delivering relief for Tampa Bay businesses and families negatively affected by the COVID-19 pandemic. We recommend reelecting Rep. Kathy Castor for the U.S House.
District 15: Alan Cohn
Democratic candidate Alan Cohn is a seasoned investigative journalist who’s running on an ambitious platform for criminal justice reform, taking bold action to address the climate crisis, reforming the U.S. healthcare system to recognize healthcare as a human right, reviving the economy, and expanding the social safety net for low-income and elderly residents. We’d much rather see Cohn, with his strong communication skills and readiness to stand up to special interests, represent Tampa Bay residents in Washington D.C. than Republican opponent Scott Franklin, who touts a conservative agenda.
District 16: Margaret Good
Rep. Margaret Good (D-16) is a State Representative for District 72 where she defeated Republican James Buchanan, son of Vern Buchanan, and Libertarian Alison Foxall in a special 2018 election. She is challenging Vern Buchanan for his congressional seat. Her platform priorities include expanding healthcare coverage, lowering prescription drug costs, and taking bold action against the climate crisis—albeit, stopping shy of supporting the ambitious Green New Deal. Her economic and healthcare priorities are well-suited to the demographics of her district. We recommend re-electing Rep. Margaret Good for a move to the U.S. House.
See all of Creative Loafing Tampa Bay’s 2020 recommendations here.
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This article appears in Oct 15-21, 2020.