“I don’t want to be a flash-in-a-pan candidate or someone who is hot for a month,” Democratic presidential candidate Julián Castro said during a stop in Austin on Wednesday.
The former HUD Secretary and mayor of San Antonio was in town for a small fundraiser at Native Hostel in East Austin.
Castro, who is one of more than 20 major Democratic candidates vying for the party's nomination in 2020, has so far been lagging in the polls. But, he said, he’s been slowly gaining support, which he thinks may be a strength in the long run.
The first nominating contest in Iowa is about 40 weeks away, which is something Castro reminded supporters of during the event. He also said he thinks he could gain more support during the debates, which he qualified for.
“I know that I can do well once people start comparing candidates,” he said. “It sounds a little bit odd, but I think that I will benefit from lower expectations that people have of me early – and some candidates are seeing the other side of that.”
Castro said he thinks some candidates are having trouble meeting high expectations in the race.
He told the crowd about his immigration and health care plans and applauded House Democrats who began the process Wednesday of holding Attorney General William Barr in contempt of Congress for refusing to turn over an unredacted version of the Mueller report.
“I also believe that the president should be impeached because Bob Mueller has pointed out 10 different instances where he obstructed or tried to obstruct justice,” he said. “And some people don’t want to do that because they think it’s too political.”
Castro said he thinks there is widespread support among Americans for impeachment proceedings in Congress.
“This is an important moment to demonstrate to the American people that we are going to stand up for the rule of law,” he said.
