Mr. Castro is coming to Washington.
The Senate on Wednesday easily confirmed San Antonio, Texas, Mayor Julian Castro to be the next Secretary of Housing and Urban Development. The vote was 71-26 in favor of confirmation.
Castro, 39, is seen as a rising star in the Democratic Party, grabbing national exposure in September of 2012 when he delivered the keynote address at the Democratic National Convention in Charlotte, North Carolina.
Castro’s twin brother, Democratic Rep. Joaquin Castro of Texas, and several other members of the Congressional Hispanic Caucus and Texas delegation made the trek from the House to the Senate side of the U.S. Capitol on Wednesday to watch the confirmation vote live.
“I applaud the bipartisan majority of Senators who today confirmed Julián Castro as our next Secretary of Housing and Urban Development,” said President Obama in a statement released to the press.
“Julián has lived the American Dream in his own life, and I’m confident he will help Americans across our country seize their own piece of that dream for themselves and their children,” Obama’s statement concluded.
The San Antonio mayor will replace Shaun Donovan, who is awaiting Senate confirmation to become the next Director of the White House Office of Management and Budget.
Castro is considered one of the most prominent Latino members of the Democratic Party, and is also considered a future Democratic presidential prospect.
CNN Senior Congressional Producer Ted Barrett contributed to this report.
