Julián Castro drops out of 2020 presidential race

AUSTIN, Texas — Former Obama housing secretary Julián Castro is ending his run for president.

His announcement Thursday comes as Castro failed to garner enough support or donations to make the recent Democratic presidential debates . The former San Antonio mayor languished around 1% in polls and lagged behind his 2020 rivals in fundraising.

Castro was the only Latino candidate in the field and one of the biggest voices on immigration. Elizabeth Warren joined his call to decriminalize illegal border crossings if Democrats retake the White House next year.

But Castro was often eclipsed by another Texan in the race, former El Paso congressman Beto O’Rourke, and another young mayor, Pete Buttigieg, the former mayor of South Bend, Indiana.