Julian Castro, the only candidate to be latino in the democratic primary, has announced this Thursday that is withdrawing from the race to face Donald Trump in the presidential election in November. “I have decided that it is simply not our time,” explained the texan of 45 years in a video, just a month before they start in Iowa, the first big event of the primary.
Housing Secretary in the Administration of Barack Obama, and former mayor of her hometown of San Antonio, in whose consistory came at just 27 years old, Castro had made since he announced his candidacy a year ago occupy a relevant place in the race-democrat with their progressive policies, checking even the debate on immigration issues and the fight against inequalities. But did not achieve a popular support that would allow him to be placed in the first positions of a hiperpobladas primary, in which polls rarely managed to surpass the 2% – of-support.
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“it is With a deep sense of gratitude to all who have supported us, I am suspending today my presidential campaign. I am very proud of everything we have achieved together. I will continue to fight for an America in which all the world has, I hope that you join me in that fight”, has tuiteado, without clarifying their future plans.
After starring outstanding performances in the first debates of the campaign, the candidate had not managed to qualify for the most recent, which require a minimum of support in the polls and overcome a certain amount of funds in campaign donations.
The removal of Castro, the grandson of a mexican immigrant, reduces the contention democrat to 14 candidates and, together with the withdrawal of senator Kamala Harris in early December, it undermines the diversity of a campus that began as the most plural in the rational terms of the history of the party. In the last debate of the year, to the which also could be classified senator Cory Booker, there was no candidate of african-american or latino. The own Castro expressed his concern about the lack of diversity, and even defended changes in the primary process, that starts in one State, Iowa, not representative of the diversity of the Democratic Party.
With Castro disappears from the race one of the voices that most fueled the debate in favour of a legislative reform towards a migration policy more progressive. The texan came to defend that crossing the border without permission to stop constitute a criminal offense, forcing the other candidates to define their position. Their proposals for social policies in education, housing and, above all, in the assistance to the most disadvantaged earned him the support of certain sectors, which, finally, has not been enough.
“I think that the democrats we can fight for the middle class,” explained Castro a month ago, in an interview with THE COUNTRY. “But also to fight for people who are sleeping in the streets, the disabled people who suffer every day just to get ahead in their lives and to fight for migrant children who have been separated from their parents. We have to fight for all, because this president is only concerned about the people that looks like him and has a portfolio like yours”.
