2020 hopeful Sen. Elizabeth Warren received the endorsement of former presidential candidate Julián Castro on Monday morning, just under a month before voters caucus in Iowa.
"There’s one candidate I see who's unafraid to fight like hell to make sure America's promise will be there for everyone," Castro said in a video posted on Twitter, featuring the two candidates chatting over coffee in Warren’s kitchen. "Who will make sure that no matter where you live in America or where your family came from in the world, you have a path to opportunity too. That's why I'm proud to endorse Elizabeth Warren for President."
Castro also announced he would be joining Warren Tuesday for a joint rally at Brooklyn’s Kings Theatre in New York City.
Castro, who was the only Latino in the Democratic primary, and one of the first Mexican-American candidates to seek the presidency, dropped out just before the start of the new year after running for nearly a year.
Castro and Warren’s policies often reflected one another's, such as calling for the decriminalization of border crossings.
Warren and Castro were close friends on the campaign trail, often openly congratulating each other on their successes in the race.
“You did so many things in this campaign. And it continues to matter. It’s not just in the past tense — it matters,” she told Castro in the video, who reached down to pet her golden retriever, Bailey.
“You know, I started my campaign off, and we lived true to the idea that, we want an America where everyone counts. It’s the same vision that I see in you, in your campaign, in the America that you would help bring about. Nobody is working harder than you are,” Castro said.
The former Housing and Urban Development secretary under President Obama dropped out of the race as his campaign slowly ran out of money.
Castro initially ascended to the national stage when he was the first Hispanic to deliver the keynote address at the 2012 Democratic National Convention in Charlotte, North Carolina; he was later shortlisted and vetted as a vice presidential candidate during former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton’s 2016 presidential campaign. Clinton eventually chose Virginia Sen. Tim Kaine, with Castro campaigning for Clinton as a surrogate.
Warren was one of the first candidates to applaud Castro for his time on the trail after he dropped out. “You made this race stronger—and you will continue to be a leader in our party and our country for many years to come,” Warren said in a tweet at the time.
During one of the biggest campaign events in Iowa over the summer, a cattle-call style event called the Steak Fry and held in Des Moines, Castro jumped into Warren’s selfie line. He wanted to congratulate her and wish her well, he told ABC News at the time.
Today I'm proud to endorse @ewarren for president.
Elizabeth and I share a vision of America where everyone counts. An America where people—not the wealthy or well-connected—are put first. I'm proud to join her in the fight for big, structural change. pic.twitter.com/xDvMEKqpF3
— Julián Castro (@JulianCastro) January 6, 2020