Former Housing and Urban Development Secretary Julian Castro says if he does decide to run for the Democratic presidential nomination, he’s in no rush to announce his candidacy.
Before his trip to New Hampshire on Wednesday, Castro said he’s likely to make a bid for president.
“I’m likely to announce after the first of the year if I decide to run. I don’t feel rushed to actually announce,” he said Wednesday in Nashua. “So it’s not likely until after the first of the year.”
The former San Antonio, Texas, mayor who later ran HUD under former president Barack Obama, was interviewed during his first press stop in New Hampshire on Wednesday. The trip was his third this year to the state that traditionally holds the first primary in the race for the White House.
Castro explained that next month’s midterm elections may factor into his final decision on a White House run.
“These midterm elections set a tone in that they do send a message from the American people,” he said. “I want to see what message the American people are sending.”
If the Democratic blue wave turns into a ripple, Castro said he’d weigh his options.
“I don’t know if it would dissuade me from running, but it’s something that I’ll take into account,” he said. “First of all, I believe that the Democrats are going to take back the House on Nov. 6. But whether they do or they don’t, on Nov. 7, Donald Trump is still going to be the president and we still need leadership change in the White House.”
Castro arrived in the Granite State as pipe-bomb attacks by mail that targeted Hillary Clinton, former president Barack Obama, other prominent Democrats and CNN dominated media headlines. While the attacks were thwarted with no one harmed, the incidents heightened an already tense political climate with less than two weeks to go until the November elections.
“It’s just another reminder that we’re on the wrong path in this country,” Castro said as he spoke to a group of Democratic candidates and activists at a house party in Nashua, organized by the New Hampshire Young Democrats.
He pointed some of the blame toward President Donald Trump.
“Instead of leadership that divides us and fans the flames of separation at every turn, we need leadership that unites us, that gets us back to thinking about how we can move forward as a country together. And this election in 13 days is a real opportunity to get on the right path,” he said.
Castro also took aim at Trump’s heated rhetoric and misleading comments regarding migrant caravans slowly moving through Central America and Mexico toward the U.S. border.
“The president is acting like this is something that we can’t deal with, and I believe that we can deal with it,” Castro said.
“Do I believe that all of those folks should be let in – of course not,” Castro said. “Do I believe that if some of them have legitimate asylum claims, should they be let in? Yes. But you need to go through that process. And what the president is saying is that basically no matter what someone has experienced, whether in theory they would qualify for asylum or not, they should be turned away. I don’t believe that we should do that.”
Turning to the 2020 campaign, Castro preached politics of optimism.
“I don’t think that we’re going to beat Donald Trump by being Donald Trump,” he said.
“You have to be able to stand up to Trump and hold your own, but that’s not the same thing as getting into the gutter with Donald Trump,” Castro added. “You’re never going to win a gutter war with Donald Trump because that’s who he is.”
Castro, who would be a prominent Latino candidate in a Democratic field that could exceed 20 contenders, later headlined a New Hampshire Democratic Party Latino Caucus community conversation.
“Some of you may have already heard, after the election I’m going to make a decision about running for president in 2020,” he said to applause.
He alluded to the expected large number of candidates and the fact that New Hampshire voters may be seeing a lot of him in the future.
“I have no doubt that you all are going to meet a lot of folks that are doing that. If I do, I look forward to coming back here,” he said.
The 44-year-old Castro ended his day in the Granite State by keynoting the Salem Democrats’ fall gala.
Longtime New Hampshire Democratic Party chairman Ray Buckley, noted Castro’s youth as an asset.
“We’ve got a dozen folks under the age of 50 who could very well win this nomination,” Buckley said.