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Cory Booker, Pete Buttigieg called Jane Castor after historic Tampa mayor win

The 2020 Democratic hopefuls were among the first to congratulate the newly elected Castor.
 
Tampa Mayor-Elect Jane Castor stands with her sons Sergei Bevan, right, and Seely Bevan, left, while she waves at her supporters after giving her victory speech at The Vault. The retired Tampa Police Chief Jane Castor defeated retired banker and philanthropist David Straz. [OCTAVIO JONES   |   Times]
Tampa Mayor-Elect Jane Castor stands with her sons Sergei Bevan, right, and Seely Bevan, left, while she waves at her supporters after giving her victory speech at The Vault. The retired Tampa Police Chief Jane Castor defeated retired banker and philanthropist David Straz. [OCTAVIO JONES | Times]
Published April 24, 2019|Updated April 24, 2019

Jane Castor’s historic victory drew national attention last night, including from a couple 2020 presidential contenders.

New Jersey Sen. Cory Booker and South Bend, Ind., Mayor Pete Buttigieg, both running to be the Democratic nominee for president, called Castor after last night’s win in the Tampa mayor’s race. Castor hasn’t listened to all her voicemails since her landslide win over retired businessman David Straz, said Adam Smith with the Castor campaign, so there may be more congratulatory notes from across the country for the city’s first LGBTQ mayor.

Like Castor, Booker and Buttigieg are groundbreaking political figures with roots in local government. Booker was the mayor of Newark before he became the first African American to represent New Jersey in the U.S. Senate. Buttigieg, or Mayor Pete as he’s often called, is the first openly gay mayor in Indiana.

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The calls from presidential nominees immediately also gave Castor a taste of what it’s like to lead a city in the political hotbed of the country’s most closely watched swing state.

The national spotlight didn’t end last night for Castor. She will appear on MSNBC this afternoon, according to an executive producer for the network.