Castro launches 2020 bid with nod to party's future
The Texan will be one of the youngest candidates in the Democratic presidential field and likely its only Latino.
By NOLAN D. MCCASKILL 01/12/2019 08:09 AM EST
SAN ANTONIO, Texas When 44-year-old Julián Castro officially launches his presidential campaign Saturday, hell be one of the youngest candidates in the prospective 2020 Democratic field. And hell be first and likely only Latino candidate.
That could give Castro an edge in a key early presidential state Nevada has the highest percentage of Hispanic voters of the four early voting states. And its likewise an asset in California, which stands to cast a long shadow over the Democratic presidential primary now that its primary has been moved forward to early March.
Together, the former San Antonio mayor and former Secretary of Housing and Urban Developments youth and background offer a profile built to appeal to the Democratic Partys diverse and ascendent Obama coalition.
Castro, a longshot who lacks widespread name recognition or an extensive campaign infrastructure, will need every advantage he can get. That helps explain why he chose to hold his formal presidential announcement event before anyone else this year, declaring his White House bid at Plaza Guadalupe here on the west side of San Antonio, not far from where he grew up as the son of a single mother and twin brother to Rep. Joaquin Castro (D-Texas).
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https://www.politico.com/story/2019/01/12/julian-castro-2020-election-democrats-1098636