The Castro brothers will be front and center beginning June 16 when some 12,000 Texas Democrats descend on San Antonio’s Alamodome for their state convention.
Chairing the convention with a theme of working families will be Congressman Joaquin Castro. Giving one of the keynotes, his brother, former San Antonio Mayor Julián Castro who is now the president’s Secretary of Housing and Urban Development.
Manny Garcia from the Texas Democratic Party says the Castro twins will be high profile at the convention partly because San Antonio is their home town, and partly because they're among the most nationally visible Hispanic officials. Julián Castro has been mentioned as a possible vice presidential running mate for Hillary Clinton.
“They’re outstanding examples of who Texas Democrats are. And now that we’re going to their home, to San Antonio, it just makes sense having the two of them under the lights of our Alamodome leading our convention.”
Democrats have struggled for nearly two decades to regain a footing in Texas. Republicans swept every statewide office in 1998 and have held them ever since.
Garcia says Democrats coming to this convention are continuing to rebuild and they think they’re getting help this year from the Republican Party’s presumptive presidential nominee.
“Donald Trump has now taken over this (Republican) Party. This is the environment they’ve created for him to thrive."
Garcia says Democrats will draw deep contrasts between their views on immigration and those of Trump, which many Hispanic voters in Texas find insulting.