President Donald Trump already faces a tough bench of possible Democratic opponents in 2020, but former HUD secretary Julian Castro (D) may be the one he should fear the most.
While many Americans expect to see Senators Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) and Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.) as potential 2020 candidates, the 43-year-old Castro is the dark horse candidate that will not only excite the liberal base but draw massive support from minority voters, especially Latinos.
Julian Castro is a rising star in the party. He was elected to the San Antonio city council at the tender age of 26 before serving as the mayor of that city. He would then go on to serve as Secretary of Housing and Urban Development under President Obama.
Since Obama left office, Castro has had to sit and watch as Trump persecutes immigrants, particularly those who have come to the United States from Central and South America, resulting in families being torn apart and people being deported to countries they know nothing about.
Trump is currently threatening millions of undocumented children who were protected from deportation through the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program.
Julian Castro makes perfect sense as a Democratic candidate for 2020. He was strongly considered for the vice-presidential nomination by Hillary Clinton in 2016, and he could recapture the magic created by former President Barack Obama in 2008. Castro would be the first Latino to be president if he wins the nomination and beats Trump in 2020, which would be poetic justice.
The first step, of course, is to go to New Hampshire, and Castro is doing just that by delivering the headlining speech at the New Hampshire Young Democrats 2018 Granite Slate Awards Dinner.
Castro told NBC News that:
“I have every interest in running. Part of the process of figuring out whether I’m going to run is going to listen to folks and feel the temperature of voters.”
And he wasn’t shy about taking on Trump either. He continued:
“This guy is taking the country in the completely wrong direction and he’s hurting people while he’s doing it. I have a completely different vision for the country and this seems like an important moment to turn things around.”
In 2012, Castro gave a barn-burner speech at the DNC Convention in support of President Obama, with a focus on education policy so you better believe he has the speaking skills and the policy chops to rouse voters to come to his support, which is what he is doing this year as the 2018 midterm election approaches.
Castro said
“I’m going to spend my time in 2018 making sure that great young progressive candidates get elected. I’ve been very impressed with the ground work the New Hampshire Democrats have done getting young people to step up, supporting candidates to take back important seats.”
Here’s Castro’s full DNC speech from 2012 if you want to get to know him a little better.
Castro would also give Democrats a shot at winning Texas, Castro’s home state, in 2020. And that would be a massive loss for Republicans, who have reliably carried the state and the 38 electoral votes it holds for several elections now.
Without a doubt, Castro would be a smart choice for the Democratic Party if he holds his own in New Hampshire and in the primaries that are to come. He would rally minority voters, excite the liberal base, and scare the GOP to death over Texas, not to mention strike fear into Trump’s tiny racist heart. After all, the most embarrassing defeat Trump could suffer would be at the hands of a person he believes does not belong in this country.
Featured Image: YouTube screenshot.
