Crosscut Festival

In the fall of 2012, Julián Castro, the young mayor of San Antonio, Texas, stood in front of a packed stadium in Charlotte, North Carolina, and gave a rousing speech before the Democratic National Convention. “The American dream is not a sprint, or even a marathon, but a relay,” Castro told the crowd. He rallied the country to re-elect President Obama, and in the process drew many comparisons to the president, who had given the convention speech eight years before.
Castro went on to serve as Obama’s Secretary of Housing and Urban Development, where he worked to bring homeownership within reach of more Americans, and launched an initiative that provided internet access to public and low-income housing. Castro is now widely viewed as a contender for the 2020 Democratic nomination for President.
Crosscut Managing Editor Florangela Davila talks to Castro about his experience as the grandson of a Mexican immigrant, his time in the Obama administration, and the current state of affairs in Washington, D.C.