Rising star, San Antonio Mayor Julian Castro, is set to make history today. He will be the first Hispanic to deliver a keynote address at the Democratic National Convention. His speech will involve a defense of President Obama. Click below to read more.
The 37-year-old official, who was re-elected in a landslide victory last year, is expected to present himself as a classic American success story — with a family narrative that begins with his grandmother, a Mexican orphan, who immigrated as a young girl to the U.S. in 1920 and taught herself how to read and write. Castro, the youngest mayor of a big city, has also hinted that his speech Tuesday will be heavy in defense of President Obama’s record.
“I’ll be talking about my family’s story,” Castro told Fox News. “And that more than anything else, my family’s story, and the story of so many families across the United States from different parts of the country represent an American dream story.”
The highly coveted speaking slot will propel Castro into the national spotlight, fueling speculation that the young mayor — who few had heard of before he was selected for the address — is eyeing higher office, possibly as governor of Texas or even the country’s first Hispanic president. It was just eight years ago when then-Senator Barack Obama used the same primetime speaking slot to rise to national prominence.
The decision to tap Castro as the convention’s keynote speaker also speaks to the Democratic Party’s push to secure Hispanic voters — the country’s fastest growing minority and a critical voting bloc in the election.
