With Harris out, Julian Castro aims to amplify message

When U.S. Sen. Kamala Harris of California ended her presidential bid Tuesday, Julián Castro saw an opportunity.

Castro, the last Texan in the Democratic presidential race, appealed directly to supporters of Harris, who was once a top-tier candidate but then faded, saying they shared a common cause in championing those who typically are overlooked or taken for granted by the political system.

In a call with reporters Thursday, Castro said his campaign raised $360,000 from 18,000 people in the two days since Harris dropped out. He said Tuesday was his biggest fundraising day of the quarter.

The cash infusion means Castro has met the fundraising threshold to qualify for the next debate on Dec. 19, he said, but the former Obama administration Cabinet member still faces an uphill climb to meet the polling threshold. Castro has been stuck for months at about 1% in national polls.

Read more: https://www.statesman.com/news/20191206/with-harris-out-julin-castro-aims-to-amplify-message