[2020 Elections\Secretary Julian Castro]
Secretary Castro: “Today it’s with a heavy heart, and profound gratitude, that I will suspend my campaign for president. I’m not done fighting. I’ll keep working towards a nation where everyone counts, a nation where everyone can get a good job, good health care and a decent place to live.”
Photo: Wikimedia Commons
Today, former HUD Secretary Julian Castro announced he was ending his candidacy for president saying, in a video message“I’ve determined that it simply isn’t our time.”
In the video, Secretary Castro, 45, said, “Today it’s with a heavy heart, and profound gratitude, that I will suspend my campaign for president.” adding “I’m not done fighting. I’ll keep working towards a nation where everyone counts, a nation where everyone can get a good job, good health care and a decent place to live.”
In a separate tweeted statement, Castro said, “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.”
Secretary Castro, who was the only Latino candidate running for president, leaves a Democratic field of candidates with now only three candidates of color left Senator Cory Booker, Rep. Tulsi Gabbard, and entrepreneur Andrew Yang.
Mr. Castro was the youngest person to serve under President Barack Obama as the HUD secretary. Castro was one of the most progressive presidential candidates who fought hard on issues like affirmative action, campaign finance reform, criminal justice, the economy, education, gun control, healthcare, housing, immigration, protecting indigenous communities, and LGBT rights.
Secretary Castro was the most outspoken candidate on one of the most unaddressed issues in the Black and Latino communities heading into the 2020 Elections: police reform.
Secretary Castro was an unflinchingly honest presidential candidate in speaking out against racial policing and the need to hold police accountable when they unjustly kill Blacks and Latinos. Part of his presidential platform was what he called “People First Policing.” The three main principles of which were stated as: (1) End over-aggressive policing and combat racially discriminatory policing. (2) Hold police accountable. (3) Start the healing process between communities and law enforcement.
On his campaign website, Mr. Castro made this observation “If police in Charleston, South Carolina can arrest Dylann Roof after he murdered nine people worshipping at Bible study, without hurting him then don’t tell me that Michael Brown, and Tamir Rice, and Aiyana Jones, and Eric Garner, and Jason Pero, and Stephon Clark, and Sandra Bland shouldn’t still be alive today, too.”
