Julian Castro said he would make an announcement about his plans on Jan. 12 in Texas after traveling the country and consulting with voters to hear their concerns. | AP Photo/Eric Gay 2020 Julián Castro exploring 2020 presidential bid

Former Secretary of Housing and Urban Development Julián Castro moved one step closer to a 2020 presidential run Wednesday, launching an exploratory committee and saying he'd make a formal announcement in January.

Castro, a Democrat who served as mayor of San Antonio before joining President Barack Obama's administration, made the announcement of his exploratory bid on Twitter. In a promotional video, Castro said the hard work and lessons of his grandmother and mother inspired him to run for public office.


Quoting his mother, Castro said in the video: "If you want to make a change in your life, in your community, you don't wait. You work. Make your future happen, she'd say to us," referring to himself and his brother, Rep. Joaquín Castro (D-Texas). "So we did."

The video also mentioned a number of potential policy priorities, from affordable housing and education to increased healthcare and improved safety for racial and religious minorities.

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Though Castro didn't name President Donald Trump, several of the Democrat's priorities appeared as direct rebukes to Trump's rhetoric on immigration, as he evoked his grandmother's journey as an immigrant to the United States with little education.

Castro joins a chorus of potential Democratic candidates who could vie to take down Trump in 2020. Sen. Elizabeth Warren has begun scouting for campaign headquarters in the Boston area, and Sen. Bernie Sanders said he'll travel the country to see if he's the best candidate to take on Trump.

Castro said he would make an announcement about his plans on Jan. 12 in Texas after traveling the country and consulting with voters to hear their concerns.

