Democratic presidential candidate and former Housing Secretary Julian Castro speaks at a campaign event, in Concord, N.H. (AP Photo/Elise Amendola)

Democratic presidential candidate Julián Castro will make a campaign stop today at the IVCCD Orpheum Theater Center, 220 E Main St. Doors open at 6 p.m., with the speaking program starting at 6:30 p.m.

Castro officially announced his bid for the Democratic nomination for president in January 2019. He is a former U.S. Secretary of Housing and Urban Development who served during the Obama administration from 2014 to 2017. He served as the mayor of his hometown, San Antonio, Texas, from 2009 until he joined Obama’s cabinet in 2014. He also previously served on the San Antonio City Council.

If elected president, Castro has said he would have the U.S. rejoin the Paris Climate Treaty. He would like to establish universal preschool education and provide two free years of higher education. He wants there to be a required universal background check on guns and to ban assault weapons, limiting high-capacity magazines and requiring background checks at gun shows.

Castro has also said he wants to reform the health care system by creating a Medicare for All plan. He is interested in developing a path to citizenship for most undocumented immigrants.

Castro has spent several days in Iowa, and was one of over 20 Democratic presidential candidates to visit the Iowa State Fair.

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Contact Sara Jordan-Heintz at

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