Page 4 - ARUBA TODAY

A4 U.S. NEWS
Friday 3 January 2020
Democrat Julián Castro drops out of 2020 presidential race

By PAUL J. WEBER San Antonio mayor who "Secretary Castro brought
Associated Press later became President a firm, clear, moral voice to
AUSTIN, Texas (AP) — For- Barack Obama's secre- this primary," Elizabeth War-
mer Obama housing secre- tary of Housing and Urban ren said during a campaign
tary Julián Castro, the only Development, Castro had stop in New Hampshire. "I'm
Latino in the 2020 Demo- stalled for most of his cam- very sorry that he's not part
cratic presidential primary paign, hovering around 1% of this, but I know he has an
race, ended his campaign in polls, and never came important voice in Ameri-
Thursday after a yearlong close to raising money like can politics and that we're
run in which he pushed his his better-known challeng- going to hear a lot more
rivals on immigration and ers. from him both in 2020 and
took big swings in debates He had not yet released in years to come."
but struggled to break his end-of-year fundraising Trying to show he could go
through with voters. numbers, but by October toe-to-toe with Trump, Cas-
"I'm so proud of the cam- had raised less than $8 mil- tro swung for big moments
paign we've run together. lion total. As Castro exited In this Oct. 28, 2019 file photo, former Housing and Urban on debate stages, and he
We've shaped the conver- the field, Bernie Sanders an- Development Secretary and Democratic presidential candidate flirted with a much-needed
sation on so many impor- nounced on Thursday that Julian Castro speaks at the J Street National Conference in breakout in June after con-
tant issues in this race, stood he brought in more than Washington. fronting O'Rourke over not
up for the most vulnerable $34.5 million in the previous Associated Press supporting decriminaliza-
people and given a voice three months alone. aside in the race because professor and associate tion of illegal border cross-
to those who are often for- Castro's departure reflects of what he called "the me- director of the Center for ings.
gotten," Castro said in a the increasing lack of color dia's flawed formula for Mexican American Studies But turning his sights on
video announcing his exit. in a Democratic field that 'electability.'" He also ran at the University of Houston. Joe Biden on a later stage
"But with only a month un- began as one of the most an ad in majority-white "You can see that minority brought swift backlash.
til the Iowa caucuses, and diverse in history. Between Iowa, arguing that the candidates have a harder During the September de-
given the circumstances Sen. Kamala Harris of Cali- state should no longer vote time to run in these primary bate in Houston, Castro
of this campaign season, fornia dropping out and first in Democrats' nomi- election seasons." appeared to touch on
I have determined that it Sen. Cory Booker of New nating process because it Castro, 45, was among concerns about Biden's ad-
simply isn't our time." Jersey also lagging, the doesn't reflect the diversity the youngest in the run- vancing age and added a
Castro, who launched his sixth and final Democratic of the party. ning at a moment when parting shot at the then-76-
campaign last January, debate of 2019 had no "There is a strategic disad- the party's ascendant left year-old former vice presi-
dropped out after failing black or Latino candidates vantage when you don't wing is demanding gen- dent.
to garner enough support onstage. have a very diverse popu- erational change. And as "I'm fulfilling the legacy of
in the polls or donations to Last month, Castro said lation or electoral base in the grandson of a Mexican Barack Obama, and you're
qualify for recent Demo- women and candidates of those states," said Jeronimo immigrant, Castro said he not," Castro said.
cratic debates. A former color were being pushed Cortina, a political science recognized the meaning Castro denied taking a per-
of his candidacy in the sonal dig at Biden as others
face of President Donald in the field condemned
Trump's inflammatory anti- the exchange. Three days
immigrant rhetoric and later, Castro lost one of his
hard-line policies on the three backers in Congress,
U.S.-Mexico border. Rep. Vicente González of
But he labored not to be pi- Texas, who switched his en-
geonholed as a single-issue dorsement to Biden.
candidate. He made Puer- In October, Castro had
to Rico his first campaign warned supporters in a
stop, recited the names fundraising appeal that
of black victims killed in failing to make the Novem-
high-profile police shoot- ber debate stage would
ings and was the first in the spell the end of his cam-
field to call for Trump's im- paign. He needed to hit at
peachment. He also was least 3% polling in four early
a leading voice in the field state or national polls but
on poverty and ending didn't get even one.
hunger. What is next for Castro is
But his sagging poll numbers unclear. Back home in
never budged. Early on, Texas, Democrats had long
he was often eclipsed by viewed Castro as their big-
another Texan in the race gest star in waiting, and
who dropped out this fall, some have urged him to
former Rep. Beto O'Rourke, run for governor as the
and another young former state trends more diverse
mayor, Pete Buttigieg of and liberal.
South Bend, Indiana. His Castro was pegged as a
campaign and supporters, rising Democratic star after
meanwhile, grumbled that being elected as mayor of
he didn't get due credit for the nation's seventh-largest
taking out-front positions. city at age 34, and he was
Castro's former challeng- on the short list for Hillary
ers said his voice would be Clinton's running mate in
missed. 2016. q