Julián Castro endorses Deborah Peoples for Fort Worth mayor

Julián Castro, a former secretary of Housing and Urban Development, is supporting Deborah Peoples in her bid for Fort Worth mayor.

Peoples, a retired AT&T executive, is in a Saturday runoff with Mattie Parker, a former chief of staff to Mayor Betsy Price and the City Council. Castro was the mayor of San Antonio before serving as HUD secretary in the Obama Administration. He also ran for president as a Democrat in 2020.

“Throughout her career, Deborah has proven to be a capable and inspiring leader that can build coalitions and tackle the tough issues,” Castro said in a statement. “As a former mayor of a big city in Texas, I know her dedication and years of executive experience will be invaluable to the people of Fort Worth. I’m proud to endorse her and her campaign’s unifying message of One Fort Worth.”

Peoples, who served as Tarrant County Democratic Party chairwoman, said she’s proud to have Castro’s endorsement in a Thursday statement. She and Parker advanced to a runoff after earning the most votes in a May 1 election to replace Price. Price is not seeking reelection.

“His confidence in my ability to use my 30 years of business experience to grow our economy and expand prosperity in all our neighborhoods speaks volumes,” Peoples said. “We’re building a coalition of supporters of all backgrounds so we can bring this home on June 5th.”