On Thursday morning, the lone Latino Democratic presidential candidate, Julián Castro, announced with a “heavy heart” that he is dropping out of the 2020 race.
“It’s with profound gratitude to all of our supporters that I suspend my campaign for president today,” Castro wrote in a social media post that includes his 4-minute announcement video. “I’m so proud of everything we’ve accomplished together. I’m going to keep fighting for an America where everyone counts—I hope you’ll join me in that fight.”
“I’m so proud of the campaign we’ve run together,” he says in the video, which features highlights from his campaign. “We’ve shaped the conversation on so many important issues in this race, stood up for the most vulnerable people, and given a voice to those who are often forgotten.”
“But with only a month until the Iowa caucuses and given the circumstances of this campaign season, I’ve determined that it simply isn’t our time,” he explains. “So today it’s with a heavy heart, and profound gratitude, that I will suspend my campaign for president.”
“I’m not done fighting,” he vows. “I’ll keep working towards a nation where everyone counts, a nation where everyone can get a good job, good health care and a decent place to live.”
It’s with profound gratitude to all of our supporters that I suspend my campaign for president today.
I’m so proud of everything we’ve accomplished together. I’m going to keep fighting for an America where everyone counts—I hope you’ll join me in that fight. pic.twitter.com/jXQLJa3AdC
— Julián Castro (@JulianCastro) January 2, 2020
Castro’s decision, which doesn’t come as a surprise given the former Housing and Urban Development secretary’s continued failure to gain traction in the polls, again draws attention to the criticism from the left about the overwhelmingly white Democratic field.
As highlighted in the video, Castro made a point of emphasizing his identity throughout his campaign. The video begins with Castro introducing himself as a candidate in Spanish. “I am a candidate for the president of the United States,” he says in English. “The very fact that I can say that I can say that tonight shows the progress that we have made in this country.”
The video also presents Castro’s complaint about how the Democratic Party nominates its presidential candidates, an issue that reached a near-crisis point in 2016 with Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders’ campaign.
“I’m gonna tell the truth. It’s time for the Democratic Party to change the way that we do our presidential nomination process,” says Castro.
While Castro is now officially out of the presidential running, he may yet play a key role in 2020. As noted by The New York Times, in 2016, Castro was viewed as a potential vice presidential pick for Hillary Clinton and likely has a chance to be selected by the nominee this year.
Recent polls, including by NBC News/Wall Street Journal, CNN, Economist/YouGov, Morning Consult, and Emerson, showed Castro failing to get more than 2 percent of the Democratic vote, a majority showing him with just 1 percent support.
Most of the polls continue to show former Vice President Joe Biden in the lead, often by double-digits, Sanders in second, Massachusetts Sen. Elizabeth Warren third, and South Bend Mayor Pete Buttigieg fourth. Most polls shows all of the other candidates failing to get more than 5 percent support.
Economist/YouGov’s most recent survey gives Biden 29, Sanders 19, Warren 18, Buttigieg 8, Bloomberg 3, Klobuchar 4, Yang 3, Booker 2, Gabbard 3, Steyer 2, Castro 1, and both Delaney and Bennet 0. Morning Consult’s most recent poll shows similar results: Biden 32, Sanders 21, Warren 14, Buttigieg 8, Bloomberg 6, Klobuchar 3, Yang 4, Booker 3, Gabbard 1, Steyer 3, Castro 1, Delaney 1, Bennet 1.