Questions and Answers with Julián Castro

On February 16, the New Hampshire Institute of Politics welcomed Julián Castro to a question and answer session with over 30 students in the Institute’s auditorium. 

Castro is the former Secretary of Housing and Urban Development under the Obama administration. Prior to that, he served as the mayor of San Antonio and a member of the city council in 2009. Castro also has a twin brother, Joaquin Castro, who serves as a member of the U.S. House of Representatives for Texas’ 20th Congressional District. The brothers both studied at Stanford University and Harvard Law School.

When asked about his relationship with his twin brother, Castro delivered some inspiring remarks. Having a twin helped him while he was growing up in poverty with a single mother. He noted that he was almost never alone, and how the two of them pushed each other to succeed. Throughout childhood and college, the two brothers were there with each other every step of the way.

Castro talked about running for public office, contemporary politics, and issues within federal government today. He answered questions from several students about public office, the democratic agenda, and some hot button political topics ranging from gun control to the national debt. He also touched upon the importance of state and local government, and encouraged young people to get involved with theirs. He stated that local government directly impacts citizens more than any other type of government.

“People will always tell you to wait your turn. You don’t have to listen to that.” - Julián Castro

Many people see Castro as a prospective candidate for Congress, or even the Presidency. As the 2020 elections come closer, many public officials have to consider whether or not they want to throw their name into the hat. Castro said he’s focused on helping progressives get elected this year and will see how that goes before making a decision to run.

Later that night, however, Castro was honored at a New Hampshire Young Democrats fundraiser where he told the crowd that he would "consider" running for the Presidency in 2020.