Julian Castro, a protégé and housing chief of former US President Barack Obama announced his presidential bid on January 12 during a speech in his hometown of San Antonio, Texas, where he served for five years as a mayor.
Castro, touted as a rising star in the party, is hitherto the only Latino to have challenged President Donald Trump for the upcoming 2020 Presidential elections.
On January 11, Tulsi Gabbard, the first Hindu in the US Congress had also announced her campaign to run for President. According to The Guardian, there will at least be 20 others who will be part of the Democrats' race for the top post in the United States.
44-year-old Castro is the grandson of a Mexican immigrant and his popularity heightened in 2012 during the national Democratic Convention. He is a trained lawyer and a father-of-two. He also has a twin brother, Joaquin Castro, a Congressman from Texas.
In his speech on Saturday, Castro said, "I've always believed that with big dreams and hard work, anything is possible in this country."
"I'm running for president because it's time for new leadership. Because it's time for new energy," Castro was quoted as saying by Channel News Asia. "And it's time for a new commitment to make sure that the opportunities I've had are available for every American."
Castro has been in the political limelight since 2012. He was in Hillary Clinton's list as the potential vice-president during the 2016 elections.
Castro has always been open in voicing his displeasure towards President Trump. During his campaign announcement speech, Castro said, "He (Trump) called it a national security crisis. Well, there is a crisis today. It's a crisis of leadership. Donald Trump has failed to uphold the values of our great nation."
He added that he was running for President, "because it's time for new leadership, because it's time for new energy and it's time for a new commitment to make sure that the opportunities that I've had are available to every American."
