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Democratic presidential hopeful Senator Elizabeth Warren speaks at Exeter High School in Exeter, New Hampshire during a campaign stop town hall in November 11, 2019.
- Former HUD secretary Julian Castro endorsed Sen. Elizabeth Warren of Massachusetts for president on Monday.
- "Elizabeth and I share a vision of America where everyone counts," Castro tweeted. "An America where people-not the wealthy or well-connected-are put first. I'm proud to join her in the fight for big, structural change."
- Castro dropped out of the 2020 presidential race last week, and his endorsement is a boon for Warren. Insider's polling shows that more than four out of five of Castro's supporters like Warren, which is 21 percentage points higher than her overall performance among Democrats.
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Julian Castro, the former secretary of Housing and Urban Development, has endorsed Sen. Elizabeth Warren of Massachusetts for president in the 2020 election.
"Today I'm proud to endorse @ewarren for president," Castro tweeted on Monday. "Elizabeth and I share a vision of America where everyone counts. An America where people-not the wealthy or well-connected-are put first. I'm proud to join her in the fight for big, structural change."
Castro dropped out of the presidential race last week. He was the mayor of San Antonio, Texas, before serving as HUD secretary under former President Barack Obama, and was the only Latino running for the 2020 Democratic presidential nomination.
"Today it's with a heavy heart, and profound gratitude, that I will suspend my campaign for president," Castro said in a video announcing his withdrawal from the race.
Castro said that he'd determined it "simply isn't our time" but that he's not done fighting.
"I'll keep working towards a nation where everyone counts, a nation where everyone can get a good job, good healthcare, and a decent place to live," Castro said in the video.
His decision to endorse Warren for the nomination will likely be a boon for the Massachusetts senator.
Based on Insider's polling, more than four out of five of Castro's supporters like Warren, which is 21 percentage points higher than her overall performance among Democrats.
If the goal of Democrats is to eventually build a ticket where the vice presidential pick can aid the nominee in gaining support among portions of the party they underperform in, Castro on paper could not be any better.
First, many candidates have striking differences in how they perform among young people and older voters, or between men and women. Castro has eluded that problem, and does basically the same with older voters as younger and the same with men and women.
Second, Castro has excellent support among liberals. He performs 10 percentage points better among those respondents who described themselves as "very liberal," the third highest in the field behind Warren and Sen. Bernie Sanders of Vermont.
However, Castro lacks the terrible numbers those candidates see among Democratic voters that described themselves as "slightly liberal" or "neither liberal nor conservative." Warren does 20 percentage points worse among the latter group and Sanders does 15 points worse, while Castro does a more manageable 9 points worse.
Castro also overperforms among Latinos, a critical Super Tuesday demographic given the large population of Latinos in the Democratic primaries of Texas and California. His endorsement or support will be a coveted one, and that leverage could keep him in the conversation well after he's exited the presidential hunt.
Today I'm proud to endorse @ewarren for president.
Elizabeth and I share a vision of America where everyone counts. An America where people-not the wealthy or well-connected-are put first. I'm proud to join her in the fight for big, structural change. pic.twitter.com/xDvMEKqpF3
- Julián Castro (@JulianCastro) January 6, 2020