Joaquin Castro (born September 16, 1974) is an American lawyer and
Democratic politician who has represented
Texas's 20th congressional district
Texas's 20th congressional district of the United States House of Representatives includes the western half of San Antonio and Bexar County in Texas. The district is heavily Latino/Hispanic (predominantly of Mexican descent), as is the surround ...
in the
United States House of Representatives
The United States House of Representatives, often referred to as the House of Representatives, the U.S. House, or simply the House, is the lower chamber of the United States Congress, with the Senate being the upper chamber. Together they ...
since 2013. The district includes just over half of his native
San Antonio
("Cradle of Freedom")
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, as well as some of its nearby suburbs. From 2003 to 2013, Castro represented the 125th district in the
Texas House of Representatives
The Texas House of Representatives is the lower house of the bicameral Texas Legislature. It consists of 150 members who are elected from single-member districts for two-year terms. As of the 2010 United States census, each member represents abo ...
.
While in the state legislature, he served as vice-chair of the Higher Education Committee and was a member of the Judiciary & Civil Jurisprudence Committee. He also previously served on other committees, such as County Affairs, Border & International Affairs, and Juvenile Justice & Family Issues.
Joaquin served as campaign chair for his
identical twin
Twins are two offspring produced by the same pregnancy.MedicineNet > Definition of TwinLast Editorial Review: 19 June 2000 Twins can be either ''monozygotic'' ('identical'), meaning that they develop from one zygote, which splits and forms two ...
brother,
Julian Castro, during his
2020 presidential campaign.
Early life, education, and early career
Castro was born and raised in San Antonio and attended
Thomas Jefferson High School. He has said that his interest in public service developed at a young age from watching his parents' involvement in political campaigns and civic causes. His father, Jessie Guzman, is a retired
mathematics
Mathematics is an area of knowledge that includes the topics of numbers, formulas and related structures, shapes and the spaces in which they are contained, and quantities and their changes. These topics are represented in modern mathematics ...
teacher from the
Edgewood Independent School District on San Antonio's west side, and his mother, Marie "Rosie" Castro, is a community activist. Jessie and Rosie never married. Castro's mother named him after
Rodolfo Gonzales
Rodolfo "Corky" Gonzales (June 18, 1928 – April 12, 2005) was a Mexican-American boxer, poet, political organizer, and activist. He was one of many leaders for the Crusade for Justice in Denver, Colorado. The Crusade for Justice was an urba ...
's poem ''
I Am Joaquin''. He graduated with honors from
Stanford University
Stanford University, officially Leland Stanford Junior University, is a private research university in Stanford, California. The campus occupies , among the largest in the United States, and enrolls over 17,000 students. Stanford is conside ...
with a
Bachelor of Arts
Bachelor of arts (BA or AB; from the Latin ', ', or ') is a bachelor's degree awarded for an undergraduate program in the arts, or, in some cases, other disciplines. A Bachelor of Arts degree course is generally completed in three or four yea ...
in
political science
Political science is the scientific study of politics. It is a social science dealing with systems of governance and power, and the analysis of political activities, political thought, political behavior, and associated constitutions and ...
and
communications
Communication (from la, communicare, meaning "to share" or "to be in relation with") is usually defined as the transmission of information. The term may also refer to the message communicated through such transmissions or the field of inquir ...
and earned a
Juris Doctor
The Juris Doctor (J.D. or JD), also known as Doctor of Jurisprudence (J.D., JD, D.Jur., or DJur), is a graduate-entry professional degree in law
and one of several Doctor of Law degrees. The J.D. is the standard degree obtained to practice l ...
with his twin brother at
Harvard Law School
Harvard Law School (Harvard Law or HLS) is the law school of Harvard University, a private research university in Cambridge, Massachusetts. Founded in 1817, it is the oldest continuously operating law school in the United States.
Each c ...
.
After law school, the brothers both worked for the law firm
Akin Gump Strauss Hauer & Feld before starting their own firm in 2005.
Castro has worked in
public education,
health care
Health care or healthcare is the improvement of health via the prevention, diagnosis, treatment, amelioration or cure of disease, illness, injury, and other physical and mental impairments in people. Health care is delivered by health pr ...
, and the juvenile justice system.
He is a member of the National College Advising Corps,
St. Mary's University Mission and Identity Taskforce,
St. Philip's College President's Advisory Board, and Texas Family Impact Seminar.
Texas House of Representatives
Elections
Castro ran for Texas's 125th House district seat in 2002. In the Democratic primary, he defeated incumbent Representative
Arthur Reyna, 64%-36%. In the general election, he defeated
Republican nominee Nelson Balido, 60%-40%. He was 28 at the time of his election. In 2004, he was reelected unopposed.
In 2006, he was reelected to a third term, defeating Balido, 58%-38%.
In 2008, he was reelected to a fourth term unopposed.
In 2010, he was reelected to a fifth term, defeating
Libertarian
Libertarianism (from french: libertaire, "libertarian"; from la, libertas, "freedom") is a political philosophy that upholds liberty as a core value. Libertarians seek to maximize autonomy and political freedom, and minimize the state's en ...
Jeffrey Blunt, 78%-22%.
Committee assignments
*County Affairs
*Higher Education (Vice Chair)
*Judiciary & Civil Jurisprudence
*Oversight of Higher Ed Governance, Excellence & Transparency
U.S. House of Representatives
Elections
In June 2011, Castro announced his candidacy for the newly drawn 's seat in the
U.S. House of Representatives. He was initially set to challenge fellow Democrat and nine-term incumbent
Lloyd Doggett
Lloyd Alton Doggett II (born October 6, 1946) is an American attorney and politician who is a U.S. representative from Texas. A member of the Democratic Party, he has represented a district based in Austin since 1995, currently numbered as Tex ...
, whose home in
Austin had been drawn into the district, in the Democratic primary, but on November 28, after
Charlie Gonzalez of the neighboring
20th district announced his retirement after seven terms, Castro announced that he would run instead for the 20th district seat. He was unopposed in the Democratic primary, all but assuring him of winning the general election in this heavily Democratic, Hispanic-majority district. At the
2012 Democratic National Convention
The 2012 Democratic National Convention was a gathering, held from September 3–6, 2012, at the Time Warner Cable Arena in Charlotte, North Carolina, in which delegates of the Democratic Party nominated President Barack Obama and Vice Presi ...
, he introduced his brother Julián as keynote speaker.
In November, Castro defeated Republican nominee David Rosa 64%-34%. becoming only the fifth person to represent this district since its creation in 1935.
In 2017, ''
San Antonio Express-News
The ''San Antonio Express-News'' is a daily newspaper in San Antonio, Texas. It is owned by the Hearst Corporation and has offices in San Antonio and Austin, Texas. The ''Express-News'' is the third largest newspaper in the state of Texas, with ...
'' columnist Bruce Davidson questioned Castro's decision not to enter the
2018 U.S. Senate race against Republican incumbent
Ted Cruz
Rafael Edward "Ted" Cruz (; born December 22, 1970) is an American politician and attorney serving as the junior United States Senator from Texas since 2013. A member of the Republican Party, Cruz served as Solicitor General of Texas fro ...
, a
2016 presidential candidate. Davidson predicted that Castro could have defeated the announced candidate,
Beto O'Rourke, representative of
Texas's 16th congressional district based in
El Paso, for the Democratic nomination. "Castro is said to be ambitious, but will he ever have a better chance to move up than in the Trump-era against Ted Cruz?," Davidson wrote. He added that Texas's other senator, Republican
John Cornyn, would have taken advantage of a similar opportunity to run. In 2002, Cornyn, the state's then one-term
attorney general
In most common law jurisdictions, the attorney general or attorney-general (sometimes abbreviated AG or Atty.-Gen) is the main legal advisor to the government. The plural is attorneys general.
In some jurisdictions, attorneys general also have exec ...
, filed to succeed retiring Republican Senator
Phil Gramm, while two other Republican hopefuls,
Henry Bonilla of
Texas's 23rd congressional district
Texas's 23rd congressional district stretches across the southwestern portion of Texas. It is a majority Hispanic district and has been represented by Republican Tony Gonzales since 2021.
Election results from statewide races
The 23rd dis ...
and
David Dewhurst, the
land commissioner and later the
lieutenant governor
A lieutenant governor, lieutenant-governor, or vice governor is a high officer of state, whose precise role and rank vary by jurisdiction. Often a lieutenant governor is the deputy, or lieutenant, to or ranked under a governor — a "second-in-comm ...
, vacillated and lost their chances to become a senator. Bonilla was defeated for House reelection after redistricting in 2006, and Dewhurst lost the 2012 Republican runoff Senate election to Cruz.
Tenure
Castro was sworn into office on January 3, 2013, becoming a member of the
113th United States Congress. He was chosen as the president of the freshman class of Democrats in the 113th Congress.
In the
114th Congress
The 114th United States Congress was a meeting of the legislative branch of the United States of America federal government, composed of the United States Senate and the United States House of Representatives. It met in Washington, D.C. from Ja ...
, House Democratic Whip
Steny Hoyer
Steny Hamilton Hoyer (born June 14, 1939) is an American politician and attorney serving as the U.S. representative for since 1981 and as House Majority Leader since 2019. A Democrat, Hoyer was first elected in a special election on May 19, 19 ...
named Castro a
Chief Deputy Whip.
During the
2016 presidential election, Castro served as a surrogate for
Hillary Clinton
Hillary Diane Rodham Clinton ( Rodham; born October 26, 1947) is an American politician, diplomat, and former lawyer who served as the 67th United States Secretary of State for President Barack Obama from 2009 to 2013, as a United States sen ...
's campaign.
He was selected as chair of the
Congressional Hispanic Caucus for the
116th Congress.
Castro voted against a House resolution condemning the
UN Security Council Resolution 2334, which called
Israeli settlement building in the occupied
Palestinian territories
The Palestinian territories are the two regions of the former British Mandate for Palestine that have been militarily occupied by Israel since the Six-Day War of 1967, namely: the West Bank (including East Jerusalem) and the Gaza Strip. The ...
a "flagrant violation" of international law and a major obstacle to peace.
On January 12, 2019, Castro introduced and endorsed his twin brother, former HUD Secretary
Julián Castro, at the launch rally of Julián's
2020 presidential campaign.
In February 2019, Castro authored House Joint Resolution 46 to overturn Trump's declaration of a
, under which Trump said he would divert funds from other sources to construct a
wall
A wall is a structure and a surface that defines an area; carries a load; provides security, shelter, or soundproofing; or, is decorative. There are many kinds of walls, including:
* Walls in buildings that form a fundamental part of the s ...
along the U.S.-Mexico border. The bill passed the House by a vote of 245–182 on February 15, and the Senate by a vote of 59–41 on March 15. Trump
vetoed the Joint Resolution on March 15.
In August 2019, Castro tweeted the names and employers of 44 San Antonio residents who had given the maximum allowable contribution to Trump's reelection campaign. He said it was "sad to see so many San Antonians" whose "contributions are fueling a campaign of hate that labels Hispanic immigrants as 'invaders'." The information came from publicly available lists published by the Federal Election Commission. Republicans denounced the tweet, saying that such a "target list" invites harassment and could even encourage violence.
In July 2020, following the primary defeat of House Foreign Affairs Committee chairperson
Eliot Engel
Eliot Lance Engel (; born February 18, 1947) is an American politician who served as a U.S. representative from New York from 1989 to 2021. A member of the Democratic Party, he represented a district covering portions of the north Bronx and sou ...
, Castro declared his candidacy for chair.
Gregory Meeks
Gregory Weldon Meeks (born September 25, 1953) is an American lawyer and politician who has been a U.S. representative from New York since 1998. He is a member of the Democratic Party and has chaired the House Committee on Foreign Affairs sin ...
also announced his candidacy and
Brad Sherman, who defeated former chairperson
Howard Berman
Howard Lawrence Berman (born April 15, 1941) is an American attorney and retired politician who served as a U.S. representative from California from 1983 to 2013. A member of the Democratic Party, he represented the state's 26th congressional d ...
in a 2012 primary, is expected to run as well.
On January 12, 2021, Castro was named an impeachment manager for
Trump's second impeachment.
Committee assignments
*
Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence
The United States House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence (HPSCI), also known as the House Intelligence Committee, is a committee of the United States House of Representatives, currently chaired by Adam Schiff. It is the primary commit ...
**
Subcommittee on Counterterrorism, Counterintelligence and Counterproliferation
**
Subcommittee on Intelligence Modernization and Readiness
*
Committee on Foreign Affairs
**
Subcommittee on International Development, International Organizations and Global Corporate Social Impact (Chair)
**
Subcommittee on Western Hemisphere, Civilian Security, Migration and International Economic Policy
Caucus memberships
*
New Democrat Coalition
*
Congressional Hispanic Caucus
*
U.S.-Japan Caucus
*Congressional Armenian Caucus
Personal life
Castro is the son of Jesse Guzman and Rosie Castro and the identical twin brother of
Julián Castro, the former
mayor of San Antonio
The following is a list of mayors of San Antonio, Texas.
San Antonio operates under a council–manager form of government.Kriston CappsWhy Julián Castro's Record as Mayor of San Antonio Doesn't Necessarily Tell Us Much About His Future at HUD ...
and the 16th
United States Secretary of Housing and Urban Development;
Joaquin is one minute younger than Julián. In addition to his work in the
Texas legislature, Castro practiced law in San Antonio. He has also been a
visiting professor
In academia, a visiting scholar, visiting researcher, visiting fellow, visiting lecturer, or visiting professor is a scholar from an institution who visits a host university to teach, lecture, or perform research on a topic for which the visitor ...
of law at
St. Mary's University and an
adjunct professor at
Trinity University in San Antonio.
Castro sits on several boards of
nonprofit organization
A nonprofit organization (NPO) or non-profit organisation, also known as a non-business entity, not-for-profit organization, or nonprofit institution, is a legal entity organized and operated for a collective, public or social benefit, in co ...
s and institutions of higher education, including Achieving the Dream, the National College Advising Corps, St. Phillip's College President's Advisory Board, St. Mary's University Mission and Identity Taskforce, and the
National Association of Latino Elected and Appointed Officials' (NALEO) Taskforce on Education.
In 2013, Castro became engaged to Anna Flores. Julián Castro made the announcement on his Facebook page. The couple had a daughter in 2013, a son in 2016, and a second daughter in 2022.
In 2019, Castro grew a beard so that people could distinguish him from his brother.
See also
*
List of Hispanic and Latino Americans in the United States Congress
References
External links
Congressman Joaquin Castroofficial U.S. House website
Joaquin Castro for Congress*
*
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, -
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{{DEFAULTSORT:Castro, Joaquin
1974 births
21st-century American politicians
American politicians of Mexican descent
Jefferson High School (San Antonio, Texas) alumni
Harvard Law School alumni
Hispanic and Latino American state legislators in Texas
Hispanic and Latino American members of the United States Congress
Democratic Party members of the United States House of Representatives from Texas
Identical twin politicians
Living people
Democratic Party members of the Texas House of Representatives
Politicians from San Antonio
Stanford University alumni
Texas lawyers
American twins
Julian Castro
House managers for the second impeachment trial of Donald Trump