Julián Castro, a possible presidential hopeful who was a former Secretary of Housing and Urban Development under President Obama, addressed New Hampshire Young Democrats in Manchester Friday night.
Before speaking as part of the Young Democrats’ “Granite Slate Awards,” Castro took time to shake plenty of hands.
“It's neat to be around folks who are positive, who are energized, who are going to make sure that we win in November,” Castro said.
Castro, the former mayor of San Antonio, hasn’t said definitively if he’ll run for President in 2020. But he has teased the idea of a campaign. The possibility of the first Latino president wasn't lost on attendee Pablo Ruiz of Belmont, Mass.
“I personally am excited about the historic potential of a candidacy like his,” Ruiz said. “Him focusing everybody tonight on [the] November election is exactly what Democrats should be doing, so I'm glad to hear it.”
Castro delivered his speech to an applauding crowd and focused on health care, education and immigration reform. He knocked President Donald Trump's leadership. "When he's not golfing, or tweeting, or vacationing, the president is dividing us instead of bringing people together."
Castro also referenced gun violence and the recent mass shooting at a Florida high school.
"And, finally, what does it mean to be the safest nation in the world in the years to come? Well, I can tell you what it doesn't mean," he said. "It doesn't mean hurling personal insults at foreign leaders over Twitter. It doesn't mean being the only nation to withdraw from the Paris Climate agreement. It doesn't mean cowering to the NRA and avoiding universal background checks and a ban on military style assault weapons."