By TED BYRD

Kerry McKenzie, left talks with Rep. Bob Henriquez and U.S. Senate candidate Betty Castor at his home along W Alva Street. Henriquez and Castor were making some visits to homes in Tampa.
 
TAMPA - Betty Castor opened an 8,000-square-foot headquarters in Ybor City on Saturday, using the event to come out against President Bush's new policy adding restrictions on travel to Cuba.
Last week, she began airing a TV ad, a biographical spot that served to introduce her to voters.

One thing Castor is not doing is mentioning either of her two major Democratic primary opponents in the race to replace retiring U.S. Sen. Bob Graham. Increasingly, she appears confident of a primary win Aug. 31 and is gearing up to face a Republican opponent in the fall.

``We're looking to the future, but I'm not taking anything for granted,'' Castor said after a brief stint going door-to-door on Alva Street in Tampa Heights on Saturday.

With a general election season of only two months this year, there will be no time for the primary victors to waste.

``You've got to be building,'' said Castor, a former state senator, state education commissioner and president of the University of South Florida.

The new headquarters, on Palm Avenue near the sheriff's office, is only sparsely occupied. Should Castor win, staff and volunteers will balloon and extensive phone bank space will be needed.

Her previous offices, on MacDill Avenue south of Euclid Avenue, were overcrowded.

Standing near the entrance to her new office, Castor welcomed a small group of supporters Saturday and announced that she opposes Bush's new restrictions on how often people in the United States can visit relatives in Cuba or how much money can be sent to them.

``This is humanitarian. ... Why should we be restricting them?'' Castor said.

She does not support lifting the trade embargo with the country, but said the United States should prepare for a Cuba without Fidel Castro.

``We need to look to the future, but we need to be reasonable now,'' Castor said.

She singled out two Republican Senate candidates to criticize for supporting Bush's policy change but made no mention of the Democratic supporters, Miami-Dade Mayor Alex Penelas and Pembroke Pines Rep. Peter Deutsch.

``My position differs 100 percent from Bill McCollum and Mel Martinez,'' she told a crowd of about 40 at the headquarters opening.

Castor's TV spots showing in Gainesville, Jacksonville and Tallahassee also ignore her primary opponents.

``Long before I became a legislator or a university president, I was a teacher, I was a wife, I was a mother,'' she says in the ad. ``So family values come naturally to me.''

She then touches briefly on three of her favorite themes: improving the health care system, improving schools and creating higher-paying jobs.

``It's a good ad to appeal to women and moderates,'' said Jennifer Duffy, Senate editor for the Washington-based Cook Political Report.

At the same time, it reminds people of her deep resume.

The ad subtly calls attention to the fact that she is a woman facing male candidates, said Susan MacManus, a USF political science professor. ``Being a woman is an advantage in a crowded field of men,'' she said.

Finally, Castor appears gracious in the ad.

``In a way, she's taking a John Edwards strategy of being upbeat and not attacking other candidates,'' MacManus said. ``That can get you a long way with the attack-weary electorate.''

Reporter William March contributed to this report. Reporter Ted Byrd can be reached at (813) 259-7679.