Democrat Julian Castro is the former secretary of the Department of Housing and Urban Development under former President Barack Obama and a former mayor of San Antonio, Texas.
Castro, 44, was named HUD secretary in 2014 by then-president Barack Obama and eyed as a potential vice- presidential candidate on the Democratic ticket with Hillary Clinton in 2016.
1 - Castro made his mark as a politician when he became the youngest city councilman in San Antonio history in 2001 at the age of 26. He served until 2005 when he decided to run for mayor.
Here are six things to know about Castro:
2 - Castro lost his first bid for mayor of San Antonio, but ran again in 2009 and won with 56 percent of the vote. He was re-elected in 2011 by an 82 percent margin.
3 - Castro rose to national prominence in 2012 when he became the first Hispanic to deliver a keynote address at the Democratic National Convention.
4 - Castro has a twin brother who is also a politician. Joaquín Castro has represented Texas’ 20th congressional district since 2013.
5 - Castro, who was born in San Antonio on Sept. 16, 1974, is graduate of Stanford University and Harvard Law School. He married Erica Lira Castro in 2007.
6 – Castro formed an exploratory committee for a possible 2020 run for U.S. president.