Julian Castro may already be behind in the polls, but no matter—he's boldly running for president. The former mayor of San Antonio and HUD secretary under President Obama officially announced his candidacy Saturday, framing it in the context of immigration: "When my grandmother got here [from Mexico] almost a hundred years ago, I'm sure she never could have imagined that just two generations later, one of her grandsons would be serving as a member of the United States Congress and the other would be standing with you here today to say these words: I am a candidate for President of the United States of America," he told supporters in his hometown of San Antonio, per USA Today. By his side was his family, including twin brother Rep. Joaquin Castro, also a Texas Democrat.
Possibly the best-known Latino figure in the 2020 race, Castro touched on issues including reproductive rights, climate change, Black Lives Matter, and Medicare for all—but his stand on immigration may be his most dramatic contrast with President Trump. "What we don't need is a wall that stretches the length of the border, some concrete wall that people are just going to be able to go over or go under," he told NBC News in a Thursday interview. Entering a race that likely includes high-profile figures such as Sen. Elizabeth Warren, Sen. Cory Booker, and Rep. Beto O'Rourke, Castro dismissed polling figures that already show him trailing. "I have not been a frontrunner at any time in my life," he said, per CNN. At 44, he is also among the youngest probable candidates. (Another relatively young one just threw her hat in the ring.)
,
uBlock 
,
and
Ghostery 
)
