Biography

Joaquin Castro, born on September 16, 1974, in San Antonio, Texas, is a Democratic member of the U.S. House of Representatives, serving Texas's 20th Congressional District since 2013. Raised on San Antonio's West Side, he is the son of community activist Marie "Rosie" Castro and retired mathematics teacher Jesse Guzman. His identical twin brother, Julián Castro, is the former mayor of San Antonio and served as the U.S. Secretary of Housing and Urban Development. Joaquin's early exposure to public service through his parents' activism deeply influenced his commitment to community and civic engagement.

Education and Political Experience

• Education:

  • Bachelor of Arts in Political Science and Communications from Stanford University, 1996
  • Juris Doctor from Harvard Law School, 2000

• Political Experience:

  • Elected to the Texas House of Representatives for District 125 in 2002; served five terms until 2013
  • Vice Chairman of the Higher Education Committee
  • Democratic Floor Leader
  • Elected to the U.S. House of Representatives for Texas's 20th Congressional District in 2012; currently serving his seventh term
  • Serves on the House Foreign Affairs Committee and the House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence
  • Co-President of the House freshman Democrats in 2013
  • Chair of the Congressional Hispanic Caucus for the 116th Congress
  • Founded the Bipartisan Congressional Pre-K and Child Care Caucus in 2016 , ,

Notable Achievements

• Community Initiatives:

  • Founded the Trailblazers College Tour, raising funds to send underprivileged students on college visits
  • Established SA READS, San Antonio's largest literacy campaign and book drive, distributing over 200,000 books to more than 150 schools and shelters
  • Created the annual Families Helping Families dinner and awards to honor family members raising relatives who aren't their children

• Legislative Efforts:

  • Authored House Joint Resolution 46 in 2019 to overturn the national emergency declaration concerning the southern U.S. border
  • Appointed as an impeachment manager during the second impeachment of President Donald Trump in 2021

• Health:

  • Underwent surgery in February 2023 to remove gastrointestinal neuroendocrine tumors; continues to receive monthly treatments and remains active in his congressional duties

Joaquin Castro's career reflects a steadfast dedication to public service, education, and community empowerment, aiming to build an "Infrastructure of Opportunity" for all Americans.