Our Story—by Erica Castro.
Our first date — Mi Tierra.
It is a day I will never forget. I arrived on time and Julián was running a bit late. When he finally arrived I cracked a joke. “Thanks for keeping me waiting,” I said.
20 years of knowing each other and for our most recent anniversary, we revisited the same restaurant, same table, and are still in love.
Soon after our first date Julián told me he wanted to run for City Council. It was something he had thought about over and over again. He was attending Harvard Law School at the time but in his dorm room, he kept a map of District 7 in San Antonio on his wall. Even though he was away at school, he cared so much about our community, about the people and couldn’t wait to return home to serve and give back to the residents of San Antonio.
Julián first became a member of the City Council, where he advocated for his constituents and proudly left a six figure position at a law firm to vote against a golf course and large-scale real estate development from being built over San Antonio’s main water source, The Edwards Aquifer.
Later on, when he ran for Mayor of the 7th largest city in the country, he won and championed initiatives including Pre-K for SA, fought for the better treatment and well-being of animals, and for the poor and working class.
While Julián and I both began learning about parenthood, he continued focused on governing, and I was focused on growing professionally as an elementary educator. Having earned two degrees, I feel empowered every day to impact student learning and set an example for students not only inside the classroom, but outside too. I am proud and honored to be an educator in the same neighborhood I went to school. Giving back to the community is more than a figure of speech in our home — it’s something we dedicated our lives to doing.
From the beginning, Julián and I have always supported one another’s goals and that has only made our relationship stronger.
In 2014, we packed our bags and moved to Washington, D.C. as a family. I had only ever lived in Texas and now with a young child and another on the way, we were packing our bags and heading to a new town. What an adventure it was! Serving as the Secretary of Housing and Urban Development under President Obama, Julián was fulfilling his passion — helping those who needed help the most. He traveled across the country, state to state, meeting with folks who were suffering, whether it be from a lack of affordable housing in their towns or because of bad policies put in place by local governments that forced people to be homeless. He heard their stories directly and fought for change.
Now on the campaign trail, I am absolutely blown away by Julián’s commitment and fight to help others — especially the most vulnerable and working poor. For me, from hosting Women for Julián brunches to the Iowa State Fair, every day on the campaign trail is exciting.
Julián has been fearless in his leadership, driving the conversation on immigration, combating homelessness, education, LGBTQ+ rights, and being a much needed voice for Black and Latino communities. Too often, these communities are forgotten or left out of the conversation. He’s fighting to change that narrative. I haven’t been quiet on my thoughts on the need for more Black and Latino educators in our classrooms or that school lunch should be accessible for every child across our state.
I have never been more proud of Julián. Running for President is challenging but day in and day out, Julián gives his all. When he talks and meets new voters, he doesn’t forget who they are or their stories. When people donate to the campaign, he picks up the phone and calls them just to say thank you. He does this all while being a devoted husband and father.
I want the world to see Julián like I do — a caring man who will stop at nothing to make sure people always come first. That has been the base of his campaign — PEOPLE FIRST.
The 2020 race is better with Julián in it. I will always be his number one fan and I hope you are too.
