Joaquin Castro

Joaquin Castro is a Democratic member of the U.S. House of Representatives, representing Texas's 20th Congressional District since 2013. Born on September 16, 1974, in San Antonio, Texas, he was raised on the city's Westside. He graduated from Thomas Jefferson High School before attending Stanford University, where he earned a Bachelor of Arts in political science and communications in 1996. He subsequently earned his Juris Doctorate from Harvard Law School in 2000. Before entering federal office, Castro worked in private law practice and served five terms in the Texas House of Representatives from 2003 to 2013, representing District 125. First elected to the U.S. Congress in 2012, Castro has focused his legislative efforts on what he terms the "Infrastructure of Opportunity," emphasizing public education, healthcare access, and economic development. He is a senior member of the House Foreign Affairs Committee, where he serves as the Ranking Member of the Subcommittee on the Western Hemisphere, and the House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence. He previously served as the Chairman of the Congressional Hispanic Caucus during the 116th Congress and was one of the House impeachment managers during the second impeachment trial of Donald Trump in 2021. Throughout his career, Castro has been a prominent advocate for civil rights and educational equity. In 2016, he founded the first-ever Congressional Pre-K Caucus to promote early childhood education. He has also been active in foreign policy, specifically regarding U.S. relations with Latin America, Asia, and the Middle East, and has championed legislation such as the Millennium Challenge Corporation Candidate Country Reform Act to expand international development aid. He remains a key figure in the Democratic Party's leadership in Texas.

Joaquin Castro's policy positions are characterized by a focus on diplomacy, social welfare, and civil rights. In foreign policy, he advocates for 'principled diplomacy' over military intervention and the broad use of economic sanctions, supporting multilateral agreements like the Paris Climate Accords and the Iran Nuclear Deal. He has been a vocal critic of humanitarian crises, including those in Gaza, and supports strengthening alliances in the Indo-Pacific and Western Hemisphere. On immigration, Castro supports comprehensive reform that includes a pathway to citizenship for undocumented immigrants and emphasizes addressing the root causes of migration from Central America. His domestic agenda centers on the 'Infrastructure of Opportunity,' which includes expanding access to affordable healthcare, investing in public schools, and promoting universal pre-K education. He supports increasing the federal minimum wage and expanding the Earned Income Tax Credit to address economic inequality. On environmental issues, he maintains a high rating from the League of Conservation Voters, supporting a transition to clean energy sources like wind and solar to combat climate change. Additionally, he consistently opposes legislation that he identifies as restrictive to voting rights, such as mandatory proof-of-citizenship requirements for voter registration.