AUSTIN, Texas (AP) — Democrat Julian Castro said Tuesday that he will likely seek the presidency in 2020 after months of signals from former President Barack Obama's housing secretary that he's preparing for a White House run.
"I'm likely to do it," he told The Associated Press.
The 44-year-old Castro would join what is shaping up to be a crowded field of Democratic challengers, which could include Sen. Cory Booker of New Jersey and Sen. Elizabeth Warren of Massachusetts. Castro said he still wants to see the results of November's midterm elections before making a final decision, saying he's "convinced these elections set a mood and a tone" for the next couple of years.
"It's a wide-open race. People want a new generation of leadership," Castro said in a phone interview from New York. "Folks are open to considering new faces. I heard that very clearly everywhere that I've gone."
The former San Antonio mayor would be a prominent Latino candidate in the field. Castro said his party vision includes taking Arizona, Florida and his home state of Texas, which have among the highest Hispanic populations in the U.S.
Castro said he believes he could deliver Texas, which has voted Republican in every presidential race since 1980. With three weeks until Election Day, Rep. Beto O'Rourke has shattered expectations for a Democrat in Texas by giving Republican Sen. Ted Cruz a real battle for re-election, but polls still have Cruz ahead.
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