Castro drops out of presidential race; endorses Elizabeth Warren

Emily Echevarria, Government Reporter
January 9, 2020

Just a month before the primaries begin, the scene of Democratic candidates is still shifting. Julian Castro announced he was ending his campaign for the presidency in a tweet and video message on January 2. 

“It’s with profound gratitude to all of our supporters that I suspend my campaign for president today. I’m so proud of everything we’ve accomplished together. I’m going to keep fighting for an America where everyone counts– I hope you’ll join me in that fight,” he tweeted. 

Castro, former Secretary of Housing and Urban Development for the Obama administration and mayor of San Antonio, Texas, struggled to gain traction in the polls throughout his campaign. He rarely garnered more than 2% of voters’ support in surveys. He qualified for and participated in four of the first debates, but did not qualify for any of the subsequent debates. 

 Castro was the only remaining Latino candidate in the running for the presidency, and his departure shrinks the playing field for the Democratic nomination down to 14. His campaign also struggled to gain funding, with Castro warning in October that his campaign needed to raise $800,000 by Halloween in order to continue. 

During Castro’s campaign, he advocated for decriminalizing border crossings, immigration reform, and universal Pre-K. He also called for the primary schedule to be rearranged so that Iowa and New Hampshire would not vote first, as he feels they don’t represent America’s demographics fairly. 

After announcing that he is suspending his campaign, Castro declared his endorsement of Elizabeth Warren for the Democratic nomination. In a video message posted to his social media, Castro tells Warren, “We want an America where everyone counts. It’s the same idea that I see in you, in your campaign, in the America that you would help bring about.”

Warren, senior Senator for Massachusetts, has gained traction in the polls and remained a frontrunner for the Democratic nomination, but has slipped to 4th in the polls in recent weeks. Warren and Castro held a joint event in Brooklyn on Tues, Jan 7, to discuss Castro’s endorsement and the ongoing crisis in Iran. 

Election season kicks into full swing on February 3 with the Iowa Caucus, and primary elections will end on June 6. There is only one Democratic debate left before primaries begin, taking place on Tuesday, January 14 at Drake University in Des Moine, Iowa.

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