Castor skips letter on Omar raid as Florida Democrats split

Kathy Castor, the House representative for Tampa Bay, was not on the list of Democrats who signed a letter criticizing the federal investigation into Rep. Ilhan Omar. The letter, dated October 26, was signed by 175 members of Congress. It condemned the early morning raid on Omar’s Washington, D.C. residence on October 12. The signatories asked Attorney General Todd Blanche and Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin to stop actions that might influence upcoming elections. They described the use of law enforcement as a weapon against Omar.

The probe centers on Omar’s 2009 marriage to Ahmed Nur Said Elmi. Investigators are examining whether the marriage was intended to help Elmi secure a green card. The New York Times reported that this specific accusation was widely debunked during Omar’s 2016 campaign. Omar is currently seeking reelection in Minnesota.

Castor is one of 40 House Democrats who did not sign the document. She is not the only Florida representative absent from the list. Darren Soto of District 9 and Jared Moskowitz of District 23 also withheld their signatures. Castor’s office has not yet explained why she did not join the group.

Castor is running against Republican Michael Beltran in Congressional District 14. Her campaign record shows a pattern of distancing herself from the progressive wing of her party. In September of last year, she joined Republicans in supporting a bill that condemned Democratic Socialism. Only one other Florida Democrat voted for that measure. During a radio debate earlier this month on WMNF, she reiterated that stance. She stated, “I reject socialism.” She added that she crossed the aisle to condemn it in all forms because many neighbors in the Tampa Bay area fled it.

The letter to the administration included a direct quote from the signatories. They wrote, “We write to express our unequivocal opposition to your raid of Congresswoman Ilhan Omar’s home.” They added, “We are profoundly alarmed by your weaponization of federal law enforcement against her and demand you refrain from taking any further actions that could affect the outcome of any upcoming election.”

Creative Loafing Tampa Bay contacted Castor for comment. The outlet plans to update the story if she responds. The letter was sent on October 26. The raid took place on October 12. The next step in the process is the administration’s response to the demand to halt further actions.