The wait is over. Rep. Joaquin Castro has finally announced his decision on a run for the U.S. Senate. And the answer is 'No.'
As early as last June, Rep. Castro told Texas Public Radio he was interested in challenging Republican Ted Cruz next year for his U.S. Senate seat.
“I’ll take a look at the opportunity. Someone strong should run against Ted Cruz because he doesn’t represent the best values of Texas,” Castro said.
Since then the 42-year old San Antonian has several times delayed a decision, but finally says he wants to stay in the U.S. House where his appointment to the Foreign Affairs and Intelligence committees will allow him to focus on the “threats posed by Russia and North Korea.”
The decision makes Rep. Beto O’Rourke of El Paso the only Democrat who has announced a run for the 2018 Senate seat.
Castro would have had to give up his House seat to run for the Senate.
A Texas Lyceum poll last month showed Castro was ahead of Cruz and O’Rourke was even with Cruz. But some critics claim the poll’s sample didn’t accurately measure likely voters. And that it will be an uphill climb for any Democrat to win.
