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U.S. House District 14
2026 Florida U.S. House District 14 — Republican Primary · August 18, 2026
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Last reviewed September 15, 2026After 18 years, Kathy Castor has forgotten who she works for. FL-14 deserves a citizen legislator, not a career politician.
Policy statements from campaign-controlled sources are labeled candidate positions; they are not independently presented as proven outcomes.
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August 18, 2026
Republican Party
Representative in Congress
District 14
Bea Valenti
Ergin "Batman" Tek
Gavriel E. Soriano
John Peters
Kevin M. Steele
Michael Marcel
Mike Beltran
Robert "Rocky" Rochford
Only contact details published in official filing records, FEC filings, or a verified candidate-owned source with retained exact evidence appear here.
Post Office Box 6934 · Lakeland, FL 33807
[email protected]
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Post Office Box 6934
Lakeland, FL 33807
Email: [email protected]
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FEC committee ID: C00929620
FEC committee name: JOHN PETERS FOR CONGRESS COMMITTEE
Published email: [email protected]
Published website: https://johnpetersforcongress.com/
FEC committee ID: C00857102
FEC committee name: JOHN PETERS FOR CONGRESS
Published email: [email protected]
Published website: https://johnpetersforcongress.com/
Publication here means only that the contact detail appeared in the cited filing. It is not an endorsement, and older filings may remain visible until an amended official record is captured.
Verified records and candidate-provided claims are labeled separately.
After 18 years, Kathy Castor has forgotten who she works for. FL-14 deserves a citizen legislator, not a career politician.
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After 18 years, Kathy Castor has forgotten who she works for. FL-14 deserves a citizen legislator, not a career politician.
He's not a career politician. He's a businessman, a father, and a conservative who knows that leadership means showing up, every day, and leaving the community stronger than you found it.
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He's not a career politician. He's a businessman, a father, and a conservative who knows that leadership means showing up, every day, and leaving the community stronger than you found it.
Help us bring conservative leadership to Hillsborough County and end Kathy Castor's career in Congress.
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Help us bring conservative leadership to Hillsborough County and end Kathy Castor's career in Congress.
Rooted in Brandon. A Hillsborough County resident for three decades. A businessman, a father, a conservative running for Florida's 14th Congressional District because Hillsborough's families deserve a representative who actually shows up.
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Rooted in Brandon. A Hillsborough County resident for three decades. A businessman, a father, a conservative running for Florida's 14th Congressional District because Hillsborough's families deserve a representative who actually shows up.
And yet our representative, Kathy Castor (nine terms, eighteen years in Washington) has spent her career voting with Democratic leadership and the most progressive wing of her caucus. She has stopped listening to the families who actually live in this district. The 2026 election is the first time FL-14 voters get to decide whether they want eighteen more years of Castor, or a fresh, conservative voice rooted right here in Hillsborough County.
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And yet our representative, Kathy Castor (nine terms, eighteen years in Washington) has spent her career voting with Democratic leadership and the most progressive wing of her caucus. She has stopped listening to the families who actually live in this district. The 2026 election is the first time FL-14 voters get to decide whether they want eighteen more years of Castor, or a fresh, conservative voice rooted right here in Hillsborough County.
CITIZEN Not a career politician
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CITIZEN Not a career politician
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High School Graduate
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High School Graduate
Lakeland, Florida
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Lakeland, Florida
Polk
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Polk
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After Florida HB 1D redrew our congressional map, the new 14th District covers Hillsborough County only, and it deserves a representative who fights for our families, not Washington's career politicians.
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After Florida HB 1D redrew our congressional map, the new 14th District covers Hillsborough County only, and it deserves a representative who fights for our families, not Washington's career politicians.
Nine terms, eighteen years in Washington. A consistent vote for Democratic leadership and the most progressive wing of her caucus. And a record that does not match the district she now represents. The new FL-14 is expected to lean Republican given its redrawn Hillsborough County boundaries, and Hillsborough's eastern and southern communities are growing more conservative every cycle. Castor's voting record has not changed.
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Nine terms, eighteen years in Washington. A consistent vote for Democratic leadership and the most progressive wing of her caucus. And a record that does not match the district she now represents. The new FL-14 is expected to lean Republican given its redrawn Hillsborough County boundaries, and Hillsborough's eastern and southern communities are growing more conservative every cycle. Castor's voting record has not changed.
He visits Tampa, Brandon, and Valrico multiple times every week. He has watched eastern Hillsborough grow from a quiet collection of suburbs into one of the most dynamic regions in Florida. He knows the people, the businesses, and the challenges firsthand. That is the kind of presence that produces real representation, not a flyover from Washington once every two years.
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He visits Tampa, Brandon, and Valrico multiple times every week. He has watched eastern Hillsborough grow from a quiet collection of suburbs into one of the most dynamic regions in Florida. He knows the people, the businesses, and the challenges firsthand. That is the kind of presence that produces real representation, not a flyover from Washington once every two years.
John chose Florida because he believes in its promise. Like many of the families he serves in Brandon, Valrico, and Riverview who have worked hard to build a better future, John understands that commitment is defined by action, not by where someone happened to be born. He has invested his time, his career, and his family life in the communities of Hillsborough County, and he understands firsthand the challenges residents face: affordability, insurance costs, infrastructure strain, and access to quality healthcare.
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John chose Florida because he believes in its promise. Like many of the families he serves in Brandon, Valrico, and Riverview who have worked hard to build a better future, John understands that commitment is defined by action, not by where someone happened to be born. He has invested his time, his career, and his family life in the communities of Hillsborough County, and he understands firsthand the challenges residents face: affordability, insurance costs, infrastructure strain, and access to quality healthcare.
John's professional background is rooted in managing real responsibilities: meeting payrolls, balancing budgets, and making decisions with long-term consequences. That experience has shaped his belief that smart policy must be fiscally responsible while still protecting essential services. He understands that economic growth and worker protections are not opposing goals, but complementary ones when approached thoughtfully.
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John's professional background is rooted in managing real responsibilities: meeting payrolls, balancing budgets, and making decisions with long-term consequences. That experience has shaped his belief that smart policy must be fiscally responsible while still protecting essential services. He understands that economic growth and worker protections are not opposing goals, but complementary ones when approached thoughtfully.
John has spent years engaging directly with local organizations, civic groups, and volunteers across eastern and southern Hillsborough County to address community needs. Whether meeting with neighbors in Brandon, attending events in Valrico, or supporting nonprofits in Apollo Beach and Ruskin, John values inclusive dialogue and evidence-based decision making. He believes the best policy comes from listening first.
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John has spent years engaging directly with local organizations, civic groups, and volunteers across eastern and southern Hillsborough County to address community needs. Whether meeting with neighbors in Brandon, attending events in Valrico, or supporting nonprofits in Apollo Beach and Ruskin, John values inclusive dialogue and evidence-based decision making. He believes the best policy comes from listening first.
John strongly supports expanding access to education, workforce training, and ongoing learning opportunities for families in Riverview, Brandon, and across the district. He believes investing in skills development and vocational pathways strengthens the middle class, creates upward mobility, and prepares Hillsborough County for a changing economy. Education, in John's view, is about opportunity, not ideology.
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John strongly supports expanding access to education, workforce training, and ongoing learning opportunities for families in Riverview, Brandon, and across the district. He believes investing in skills development and vocational pathways strengthens the middle class, creates upward mobility, and prepares Hillsborough County for a changing economy. Education, in John's view, is about opportunity, not ideology.
John believes access to affordable healthcare is essential to economic security. He supports practical reforms that lower costs, protect coverage for pre-existing conditions, and strengthen care for seniors in Sun City Center, Ruskin, and throughout FL-14. He is committed to protecting Social Security and Medicare for current and future retirees, recognizing that these programs represent a promise made to working Americans.
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John believes access to affordable healthcare is essential to economic security. He supports practical reforms that lower costs, protect coverage for pre-existing conditions, and strengthen care for seniors in Sun City Center, Ruskin, and throughout FL-14. He is committed to protecting Social Security and Medicare for current and future retirees, recognizing that these programs represent a promise made to working Americans.
I am running because the choice is that clear. After three decades of building a life and a business in eastern Hillsborough, I know what families here actually care about: lower costs, secure neighborhoods, good schools, the right to defend yourself, and a Washington that respects the Constitution and the Tenth Amendment. Where John stands on the issues reflects three decades of listening, not a party platform. For the full long-form case (HB 1D redistricting, the Castor record across nine terms, and the three-term pledge), read John's case for running in FL-14. I am not entering politics to serve a party, an ideology, or special interests. I am stepping forward to serve the people I have known and worked alongside for three decades.
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I am running because the choice is that clear. After three decades of building a life and a business in eastern Hillsborough, I know what families here actually care about: lower costs, secure neighborhoods, good schools, the right to defend yourself, and a Washington that respects the Constitution and the Tenth Amendment. Where John stands on the issues reflects three decades of listening, not a party platform. For the full long-form case (HB 1D redistricting, the Castor record across nine terms, and the three-term pledge), read John's case for running in FL-14. I am not entering politics to serve a party, an ideology, or special interests. I am stepping forward to serve the people I have known and worked alongside for three decades.
As a family man, John understands the pressures facing parents, caregivers, and seniors across FL-14. He believes policies should support stable households, safe neighborhoods, and economic dignity for families in every community across Hillsborough County. His guiding principle is simple: leaders should leave their communities stronger, more secure, and more united than they found them.
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As a family man, John understands the pressures facing parents, caregivers, and seniors across FL-14. He believes policies should support stable households, safe neighborhoods, and economic dignity for families in every community across Hillsborough County. His guiding principle is simple: leaders should leave their communities stronger, more secure, and more united than they found them.
Belief in balanced budgets, lower taxes, and responsible stewardship of taxpayer dollars.
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Belief in balanced budgets, lower taxes, and responsible stewardship of taxpayer dollars.
9 policy positions · Hillsborough County · FL-14
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9 policy positions · Hillsborough County · FL-14
John Peters develops policy positions the way he runs his Hillsborough County business: by listening first, then deciding. Every issue page on this site comes out of three inputs: listening sessions held across Brandon and the other communities in FL-14, town halls and constituent meetings hosted around Hillsborough County, and a constitutional framework that respects what the federal government should and should not do.
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John Peters develops policy positions the way he runs his Hillsborough County business: by listening first, then deciding. Every issue page on this site comes out of three inputs: listening sessions held across Brandon and the other communities in FL-14, town halls and constituent meetings hosted around Hillsborough County, and a constitutional framework that respects what the federal government should and should not do.
Defend the Bill of Rights and the Second Amendment for every law-abiding citizen in Hillsborough County.
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Defend the Bill of Rights and the Second Amendment for every law-abiding citizen in Hillsborough County.
Beyond the nine policy positions above, John's blog covers Hillsborough-specific district topics and broader campaign concerns.
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Beyond the nine policy positions above, John's blog covers Hillsborough-specific district topics and broader campaign concerns.
If you need help with a federal agency today, contact the office of the sitting FL-14 representative directly through house.gov. If you have concerns about how that office has handled your case and want them documented for the campaign's policy work, send the story through the contact form. The campaign tracks recurring constituent-services failures as part of its case for new representation in 2026.
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If you need help with a federal agency today, contact the office of the sitting FL-14 representative directly through house.gov. If you have concerns about how that office has handled your case and want them documented for the campaign's policy work, send the story through the contact form. The campaign tracks recurring constituent-services failures as part of its case for new representation in 2026.
Lower taxes, cut red tape, and unleash the economy of eastern and southern Hillsborough.
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Lower taxes, cut red tape, and unleash the economy of eastern and southern Hillsborough.
Small businesses are the backbone of communities like Valrico, Plant City, and Riverview. Too often, Washington imposes one-size-fits-all regulations that make it harder for local shops, restaurants, and service providers to compete. John Peters will fight to reduce excessive red tape and ensure small business owners can focus on serving their customers rather than navigating federal bureaucracy.
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Small businesses are the backbone of communities like Valrico, Plant City, and Riverview. Too often, Washington imposes one-size-fits-all regulations that make it harder for local shops, restaurants, and service providers to compete. John Peters will fight to reduce excessive red tape and ensure small business owners can focus on serving their customers rather than navigating federal bureaucracy.
Families in FishHawk, Bloomingdale, and Sun City Center are feeling the squeeze of rising costs. John Peters believes tax relief should start with the people who need it most: middle-class families trying to make ends meet. He supports lowering income taxes, expanding deductions for families with children, and eliminating tax penalties that discourage savings and investment.
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Families in FishHawk, Bloomingdale, and Sun City Center are feeling the squeeze of rising costs. John Peters believes tax relief should start with the people who need it most: middle-class families trying to make ends meet. He supports lowering income taxes, expanding deductions for families with children, and eliminating tax penalties that discourage savings and investment.
A strong economy requires reliable, affordable energy. John Peters supports an all-of-the-above energy strategy that reduces dependence on foreign sources while keeping utility bills low for families in Ruskin, Apollo Beach, and throughout the Tampa Bay region. He also supports policies that bring manufacturing jobs back to America and create high-paying opportunities for workers in our district.
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A strong economy requires reliable, affordable energy. John Peters supports an all-of-the-above energy strategy that reduces dependence on foreign sources while keeping utility bills low for families in Ruskin, Apollo Beach, and throughout the Tampa Bay region. He also supports policies that bring manufacturing jobs back to America and create high-paying opportunities for workers in our district.
The right to keep and bear arms is a fundamental constitutional right, and John Peters will never waver in his defense of it. Law-abiding gun owners in Valrico, FishHawk, and Lithia should never have to worry about Washington politicians trying to strip them of their rights. John opposes any federal legislation that would create new gun registries, ban commonly owned firearms, or infringe on the ability of responsible citizens to protect themselves and their families.
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The right to keep and bear arms is a fundamental constitutional right, and John Peters will never waver in his defense of it. Law-abiding gun owners in Valrico, FishHawk, and Lithia should never have to worry about Washington politicians trying to strip them of their rights. John opposes any federal legislation that would create new gun registries, ban commonly owned firearms, or infringe on the ability of responsible citizens to protect themselves and their families.
John Peters believes religious freedom and free speech are the cornerstones of a free society. Families in Riverview, Plant City, and Sun City Center should never be compelled to violate their deeply held beliefs by government mandate. John will oppose any legislation that forces individuals, businesses, or organizations to act against their conscience, and will fight to protect the First Amendment rights of all Americans.
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John Peters believes religious freedom and free speech are the cornerstones of a free society. Families in Riverview, Plant City, and Sun City Center should never be compelled to violate their deeply held beliefs by government mandate. John will oppose any legislation that forces individuals, businesses, or organizations to act against their conscience, and will fight to protect the First Amendment rights of all Americans.
Lower Costs, Stronger Economy
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Lower Costs, Stronger Economy
Defend the Constitution
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Defend the Constitution
Constitutional Rights
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Constitutional Rights
Protecting Healthcare and Retirement Security
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Protecting Healthcare and Retirement Security
And yet our representative, Kathy Castor (nine terms, eighteen years in Washington) has spent her career voting with Democratic leadership and the most progressive wing of her caucus. She has stopped listening to the families who actually live in this district. The 2026 election is the first time FL-14 voters get to decide whether they want eighteen more years of Castor, or a fresh, conservative voice rooted right here in Hillsborough County.
The text below is the exact source material used for this statement.
And yet our representative, Kathy Castor (nine terms, eighteen years in Washington) has spent her career voting with Democratic leadership and the most progressive wing of her caucus. She has stopped listening to the families who actually live in this district. The 2026 election is the first time FL-14 voters get to decide whether they want eighteen more years of Castor, or a fresh, conservative voice rooted right here in Hillsborough County.
Policy built in Hillsborough County, not Washington.
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Policy built in Hillsborough County, not Washington.
Homelessness & Hunger Relief
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Homelessness & Hunger Relief
Supporting Small Business Owners Across FL-14
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Supporting Small Business Owners Across FL-14
If you come here illegally and do not come through the port of entry you should have no rights at all.
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If you come here illegally and do not come through the port of entry you should have no rights at all.
No it is not. What happened to global warming in 10 years, what happened to the ice age in 10 years, what happened to the ozone layer in 10 years...none of them have happened. I thought we were supposed to believe in science; maybe we need better scientists.
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No it is not. What happened to global warming in 10 years, what happened to the ice age in 10 years, what happened to the ozone layer in 10 years...none of them have happened. I thought we were supposed to believe in science; maybe we need better scientists.
Term limits so we don't have people in Washington who are not there to serve the people. A federal balanced budget amendment so we don't spend more money than we take in.
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Term limits so we don't have people in Washington who are not there to serve the people. A federal balanced budget amendment so we don't spend more money than we take in.
Freedom of Speech means exactly what it says, with a few exceptions such as saying there is a fire in a theater when there is no fire.
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Freedom of Speech means exactly what it says, with a few exceptions such as saying there is a fire in a theater when there is no fire.
The President should. Congress can't even present a yearly budget like they are supposed to.
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The President should. Congress can't even present a yearly budget like they are supposed to.
There should be an affordable way for United States citizens to prove who they are. We must have secure elections and if it costs us a couple of dollars to secure elections it's worth it. We can't have non-citizens voting in our elections.
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There should be an affordable way for United States citizens to prove who they are. We must have secure elections and if it costs us a couple of dollars to secure elections it's worth it. We can't have non-citizens voting in our elections.
It should be a state issue, not a federal issue. Government run education has failed us for many years, look at the test scores. We are going backward, not forward. We have to go in a different direction in the future.
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It should be a state issue, not a federal issue. Government run education has failed us for many years, look at the test scores. We are going backward, not forward. We have to go in a different direction in the future.
Lower Taxes for Working Families
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Lower Taxes for Working Families
FL-14 deserves a representative who fights for economic growth.
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FL-14 deserves a representative who fights for economic growth.
Public-record research limitation
This is not a finding that the candidate has never held public office or taken an official action. It means no identity-safe member-level archive is currently attached; FactVote does not infer a negative from missing or silent sources.
Official filings may be amended after publication.
FEC candidate totals October 6, 2025 through June 30, 2026.
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Candidate ID: H4FL14141
Name: PETERS, JOHN
Office: House
State: FL
District: FL14
Coverage start: 2025-10-06
Coverage end: 2026-06-30
Total receipts: $166021.73
Total disbursements: $64375.81
Cash on hand: $101645.92
Debts owed by committee: $147949.32
Candidate contributions: $0.00
Loans made by candidate: $155649.32
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