Julián for the Future
For Immediate Release: Friday, August 16, 2019
Contact: Sawyer Hackett, National Press Secretary

New Hampshire Leaders Endorse Secretary Castro Ahead of His Return

SAN ANTONIO, TX (August 16, 2019) – Nashua Alderman Tom Lopez and Former Concord City Councilor Norman Patenaude endorsed former Obama Secretary of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) and Mayor of San Antonio, Julián Castro, for president on Friday ahead of his sixth trip to the state. 

"Alderman Lopez and Councilor Patenaude are respected leaders in their communities and in this state and I appreciate their support as we continue to build momentum in the critical state of New Hampshire," Secretary Castro said. 

Patenaude, who also served as the deputy executive director of the New Hampshire Retirement System, knew he wanted Secretary Castro to be president since watching his 2012 keynote address at the Democratic National Convention and hearing his inspiring story. He also believes Secretary Castro can deliver Arizona, Florida and Texas for Democrats in the 2020 general election.

"Julián Castro represents the new and younger face of the Democratic Party with his commonsense solutions to important issues like education, a sensible tax code, environmental protection, diplomacy, defense, immigration, job training and equal pay for the same work," Patenaude said. "He is the candidate for our time."

"I think Julián Castro is uniquely qualified to speak about housing as a human right, as a platform for opportunity and as a foundational issue key to so many other aspects of life," said Lopez, the alderman in Ward 4 of Nashua who also served for two terms on Nashua’s Board of Education and who has been a strong advocate for the homeless. "He has insight and plans and the knowledge to implement them. Without decent affordable housing, all other rights are diminished. Julián Castro understands this."

Secretary Castro returns to New Hampshire this weekend for a canvass kickoff with State Representative candidate Naomi Andrews, to discuss his People First Housing plan at Cross Roads House in Portsmouth, host a meet-and-greet with residents in Rye, meet with voters in Bedford at the home of Emma Paridis and attend the Hillsborough County Dems Picnic in Greenfield.
About Secretary Julián Castro
Julián Castro served as U.S. Secretary of Housing and Urban Development under President Barack Obama from 2014-2017. Before that, he was Mayor of his native San Antonio, Texas — the youngest mayor of a Top 50 American city at the time. In 2012, he gave a rousing keynote speech at the Democratic National Convention, during which he described the American Dream as a relay to be passed from generation to generation. In 2018, Castro founded Opportunity First, an organization to invest in the next generation of progressive leaders. In October 2018, Little, Brown published Castro’s memoir, An Unlikely Journey: Waking Up from My American Dream. On January 12, 2019, Secretary Castro announced his candidacy for President of the United States. Follow Julián Castro on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram. JulianfortheFuture.com and Julianparaelfuturo.com