SAN ANTONIO (AP) — Julian Castro says whether he runs for president in 2020 won’t be influenced by whether Texas’ other big Democrat, Beto O’Rourke, also makes a bid for the White House.
Castro said Friday he hasn’t talked to O’Rourke about what’s next since the El Paso congressman lost a surprisingly close U.S. Senate race to Republican Ted Cruz.
Castro was the nation’s housing secretary under President Barack Obama and is a former mayor of San Antonio.
The 44-year-old Castro has said he’s likely to run for president and expects a crowded field of Democratic contenders. O’Rourke said during his Senate campaign that he didn’t see himself running for president, but that hasn’t quieted speculation in the wake of his loss to Cruz by fewer than 3 percentage points.
Castro was speaking in San Antonio at a conference on Mexican American civil rights.