The Making of the President 2020: Juan Castro
On January 12, 2019, Julian Castro launched his campaign for the Democratic nomination for President of the United States in 2020 in San Antonio. If elected, Castro would become the first Hispanic and Latino American president of the United States. Castro was the youngest member of President Obama's Cabinet, serving as the 16th United States Secretary of Housing and Urban Development from 2014 to 2017. He also served as the mayor of his hometown of San Antonio, Texas from 2009 until he joined Obama's cabinet in 2014. He was considered to be a possible running mate for Hillary Clinton during the 2016 presidential campaign. If elected President, he would be the first to have a twin. Castro is the twin brother of Congressman Joaquin Castro.
Julian Castro was born in San Antonio, Texas one minute before his twin brother, on the morning of September 16, 1974. His mother was a political activist who helped establish the Chicano political party La Raza Unida. She ran unsuccessfully for San Antonio City Council in 1971. Julian Castro credits his mother with being "the biggest reason that my brother and I are in public service". As a child, he and his brother would accompany their mother to rallies and political meetings. His father is a retired mathematics teacher and is also a political activist.
Castro attended Thomas Jefferson High School in San Antonio, where he played football, basketball and tennis. He was offered a tennis scholarship to Trinity University, a NCAA Division III school in his hometown, but chose to attend Stanford University instead. He graduated from Stanford in 1996 with a bachelor's degree in political science and communications. Castro has credited affirmative action for his admission into Stanford. He said in an interview with the New York Times, "I’m a strong supporter of affirmative action because I’ve seen it work in my own life". While in college, Castro worked as an intern at the White House during the presidency of Bill Clinton. Castro attended Harvard Law School in 1997 and graduated with a J.D. in 2000. His brother was a graduate in the same class. After law school, the brothers worked for the law firm Akin Gump Strauss Hauer & Feld before starting their own firm in 2005.
In 2001, Castro was elected to the San Antonio City Council, receiving 61 percent of the vote. At age 26 he was the youngest city councilman in San Antonio history. He ran for mayor of San Antonio in 2005 and was considered to be the front runner, but was lost the election by approximately 4000. He returned to practicing law but ran for mayor of San Antonio again in 2009. Castro won the election on May 9, 2009 with 56.23% of the vote. He became the fifth Latino mayor in the history of San Antonio. He was the youngest mayor of a top-50 American city. He was re-elected in 2011 and 2013, receiving 82.9% of the vote in 2011 and 67% of the vote in 2013.
Castro gained national attention in 2012 when he was the first Hispanic person to deliver the keynote address at a Democratic National Convention in Charlotte, North Carolina. He turned down the position of United States Secretary of Transportation in 2012, but in 2014, Castro accepted President Barack Obama's offer of the position of United States Secretary of Housing and Urban Development. He was confirmed by the Senate on July 9, 2014 by a vote of 71-26 and took office on July 28, 2014. Castro was discussed as a potential nominee for vice president for the Democratic Party in the 2016 presidential election.
In July 2016, the U.S. Office of Special Counsel issued a finding that Castro had violated the Hatch Act by commenting on the 2016 campaign while giving an interview in an official capacity. Castro admitted the error and apologized for his breach. In October 2018, Castro published his memoir, An Unlikely Journey: Waking Up from My American Dream.
On December 12, 2018, Castro announced the formation of an exploratory committee for his candidacy for president in 2020. Castro formally announced his candidacy for the 2020 presidential election on January 12, 2019. In his announcement, Castro stated his support for "Medicare-for-all", universal pre-Kindergarten, and a pathway to citizenship for undocumented immigrants as part of comprehensive immigration reform.
Castro is a supporter of free trade. He has been a strong supporter of the North American Free Trade Agreement while serving as mayor of San Antonio, but has also said that the agreement should be renegotiated to "strengthen worker and environmental protections". He supports making the first two years of higher education free for students and supports universal pre-kindergarten. He has called for universal health care and Medicare for All, and indicated he would consider funding such a program by raising taxes on corporations and the wealthy. He supports the Affordable Care Act. Castro supports the Paris climate accord, and has criticized President Donald Trump's withdrawal from the agreement. He has voiced support for a Green New Deal. Castro has advocated for an "energy policy that includes fossil fuels". In foreign affairs Castro supports a gradual withdrawal of U.S. troops from Syria.
Castro has stated that he will not accept "any PAC money" as a presidential candidate, and has encouraged other candidates to do the same. However he himself formed a PAC in 2017 called Opportunity First, which covered his running expenses while also donating to several dozen other Democratic politicians. Despite his Catholic background, Castro supports abortion rights, and opposes state laws limiting abortion access after the 20th week of pregnancy and other restrictions. He has been an advocate for LGBT rights and, as mayor, opposed the law in Texas that denied legal recognition to same-sex marriages. Castro was the first San Antonio mayor to serve as the grand marshal of the city's Pride Parade in 2009 and in 2011 led a push to offer domestic partner benefits in the city. In 2012, he was one of a number of mayors across the country to sign the "Mayors for the Freedom to Marry" petition for same-sex marriage equality.
Castro supports tighter gun control, and has supported the reinstatement of the assault weapons ban, limiting access to high-capacity magazines, and closing the "gun show loophole". He also supports a pathway to citizenship for most undocumented residents of the US, and opposes President Trump's "border wall" plan. In current polling data, Castro ranks 9th in Real Clear Politics' aggregate polling numbers, with an average of 1.3% of support among those polled.
Julian Castro was born in San Antonio, Texas one minute before his twin brother, on the morning of September 16, 1974. His mother was a political activist who helped establish the Chicano political party La Raza Unida. She ran unsuccessfully for San Antonio City Council in 1971. Julian Castro credits his mother with being "the biggest reason that my brother and I are in public service". As a child, he and his brother would accompany their mother to rallies and political meetings. His father is a retired mathematics teacher and is also a political activist.
Castro attended Thomas Jefferson High School in San Antonio, where he played football, basketball and tennis. He was offered a tennis scholarship to Trinity University, a NCAA Division III school in his hometown, but chose to attend Stanford University instead. He graduated from Stanford in 1996 with a bachelor's degree in political science and communications. Castro has credited affirmative action for his admission into Stanford. He said in an interview with the New York Times, "I’m a strong supporter of affirmative action because I’ve seen it work in my own life". While in college, Castro worked as an intern at the White House during the presidency of Bill Clinton. Castro attended Harvard Law School in 1997 and graduated with a J.D. in 2000. His brother was a graduate in the same class. After law school, the brothers worked for the law firm Akin Gump Strauss Hauer & Feld before starting their own firm in 2005.
In 2001, Castro was elected to the San Antonio City Council, receiving 61 percent of the vote. At age 26 he was the youngest city councilman in San Antonio history. He ran for mayor of San Antonio in 2005 and was considered to be the front runner, but was lost the election by approximately 4000. He returned to practicing law but ran for mayor of San Antonio again in 2009. Castro won the election on May 9, 2009 with 56.23% of the vote. He became the fifth Latino mayor in the history of San Antonio. He was the youngest mayor of a top-50 American city. He was re-elected in 2011 and 2013, receiving 82.9% of the vote in 2011 and 67% of the vote in 2013.
Castro gained national attention in 2012 when he was the first Hispanic person to deliver the keynote address at a Democratic National Convention in Charlotte, North Carolina. He turned down the position of United States Secretary of Transportation in 2012, but in 2014, Castro accepted President Barack Obama's offer of the position of United States Secretary of Housing and Urban Development. He was confirmed by the Senate on July 9, 2014 by a vote of 71-26 and took office on July 28, 2014. Castro was discussed as a potential nominee for vice president for the Democratic Party in the 2016 presidential election.
In July 2016, the U.S. Office of Special Counsel issued a finding that Castro had violated the Hatch Act by commenting on the 2016 campaign while giving an interview in an official capacity. Castro admitted the error and apologized for his breach. In October 2018, Castro published his memoir, An Unlikely Journey: Waking Up from My American Dream.
On December 12, 2018, Castro announced the formation of an exploratory committee for his candidacy for president in 2020. Castro formally announced his candidacy for the 2020 presidential election on January 12, 2019. In his announcement, Castro stated his support for "Medicare-for-all", universal pre-Kindergarten, and a pathway to citizenship for undocumented immigrants as part of comprehensive immigration reform.
Castro is a supporter of free trade. He has been a strong supporter of the North American Free Trade Agreement while serving as mayor of San Antonio, but has also said that the agreement should be renegotiated to "strengthen worker and environmental protections". He supports making the first two years of higher education free for students and supports universal pre-kindergarten. He has called for universal health care and Medicare for All, and indicated he would consider funding such a program by raising taxes on corporations and the wealthy. He supports the Affordable Care Act. Castro supports the Paris climate accord, and has criticized President Donald Trump's withdrawal from the agreement. He has voiced support for a Green New Deal. Castro has advocated for an "energy policy that includes fossil fuels". In foreign affairs Castro supports a gradual withdrawal of U.S. troops from Syria.
Castro has stated that he will not accept "any PAC money" as a presidential candidate, and has encouraged other candidates to do the same. However he himself formed a PAC in 2017 called Opportunity First, which covered his running expenses while also donating to several dozen other Democratic politicians. Despite his Catholic background, Castro supports abortion rights, and opposes state laws limiting abortion access after the 20th week of pregnancy and other restrictions. He has been an advocate for LGBT rights and, as mayor, opposed the law in Texas that denied legal recognition to same-sex marriages. Castro was the first San Antonio mayor to serve as the grand marshal of the city's Pride Parade in 2009 and in 2011 led a push to offer domestic partner benefits in the city. In 2012, he was one of a number of mayors across the country to sign the "Mayors for the Freedom to Marry" petition for same-sex marriage equality.
Castro supports tighter gun control, and has supported the reinstatement of the assault weapons ban, limiting access to high-capacity magazines, and closing the "gun show loophole". He also supports a pathway to citizenship for most undocumented residents of the US, and opposes President Trump's "border wall" plan. In current polling data, Castro ranks 9th in Real Clear Politics' aggregate polling numbers, with an average of 1.3% of support among those polled.