For Immediate Release: July 25, 2019
Contact: Sawyer Hackett, National Press Secretary, Julián for the Future

Julián Castro Announces Sixteen New Campaign Hires Following Breakout First Debate

SAN ANTONIO, TX (July 25, 2019) – On Thursday, July 25, presidential candidate, former U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) Secretary under President Obama and San Antonio Mayor, Julián Castro, announced a new slate of 16 campaign hires and promotions in the San Antonio headquarters and in early primary states—building on the momentum he gained following the first Democratic debates. 

“We’ve seen an incredible outpouring of support and enthusiasm for Julián’s campaign following the first debate,” said campaign manager Maya Rupert. “As more and more Americans learn about his candidacy and our support continues to grow, so too will our campaign’s presence across the country. We’re excited to announce a new slate of talented operatives and organizers from all different backgrounds to help fulfill Julián’s vision for a more prosperous country for all of us.”

The announcement of new hires comes after news that Secretary Castro has secured three of the four required polls to qualify for the September debates. ABC and the Washington Post published a poll following the first debates putting Secretary Castro in the top five polling candidates nationally at 4 percent.

Following the debates, Secretary Castro announced that his campaign had the four best fundraising days since his announcement—raising more than $1 million in the last five days of the second quarter, and more than doubling the total sum raised in the first quarter. 

Earlier this month, the Castro campaign announced seven new endorsements from local leaders in Iowa, announced the endorsement of West Wendover Mayor Daniel Corona, the youngest elected mayor in Nevada and first openly gay mayor in Nevada history, and announced that Nevada’s former Nye County Democratic Party chair had endorsed Secretary Castro. 

This weekend, July 26-27, Secretary Castro will travel to Iowa for his ninth trip to the first-in-the-nation caucus state, where he will attend national candidate forums and host various campaign events. Following his trip to Iowa, Secretary Castro will travel to Detroit for the second round of Democratic primary debates on Wednesday, July 31. 

The recent campaign hires include:

San Antonio
Joseph Czajkowski - National Finance Director (Previously: Finance Director, Arizona Democratic Party)
Benjamin Staton - Deputy Finance Director (Previously: Finance Director, Deidre Dejear for Iowa)
Cassie Baars - Finance Assistant (Previously: Deputy Campaign Manager, Friends of Jake Castanza)
Brielle Insler - Digital Director (Previously: Managing Partner, Düable)
Sawyer Hackett - National Press Secretary (Previously: Deputy Press Secretary, Julián for the Future; Communications Director, Rep. David Price)
Mili Gosar - Director of Voting and Delegate Strategy (Previously: National Voter Protection Director at the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee)
Lillie Catlin - National Organizing Director (Previously: Deputy National Organizing Director at the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU)) 
Lauren Reyes - State Programs Director (Previously: New Hampshire Organizing Director, Julián for the Future; Field Director, Tim Kaine for Senate 2018 and as Field Director for the Virginia Coordinated Campaign 2018)
Ashley Fairbanks - Creative Director (Previously: Digital Director, Ilhan Omar for Congress)
Alex Sarabia - Deputy Communications Director (Previously: Communications and Policy Advisor, San Antonio Mayor Ron Nirenberg)
Sebastian Kitchen - Deputy Communications Director (Previously: Communications Director, Doug Jones for Senate)
Liza Acevedo - Deputy Press Secretary (Previously: Spokesperson, Speaker of the House of New Jersey Craig J. Coughlin)
 
South Carolina
Christina Cue - South Carolina State Director, (Previously: Director of Scheduling, Office of the Secretary of the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development)
Elizabeth Noble - South Carolina Organizing Director (Previously: Organizing Director, Ben Pogue State House 110)

Nevada
Kristian Carranza, Nevada State Director (Previously: Organizing Director, Julián for the Future; Field Director, Gina Ortiz Jones for Congress) 
Michael Cullen, Nevada Political Director (Previously: Attorney, Atkinson, Andelson, Loya, Ruud & Romo)
 
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For Immediate Release: Monday, February 25, 2019
Contact: Jennifer Fiore

Julián Castro Announces Key Hires for Campaign Staff

Presidential campaign announces new national and early state staff in Iowa and New Hampshire

SAN ANTONIO, TX (February 25, 2019) – Today, presidential candidate Julián Castro’s campaign announced key new senior staff based at campaign headquarters in San Antonio and two early states, Iowa and New Hampshire. The new staff brings a wealth of political experience and fresh ideas to the campaign, and join campaign manager Maya Rupert, deputy campaign manager Derek Eadon, and senior advisor Jennifer Fiore.
 
“I’m very excited to welcome a new slate of extremely talented and experienced operatives to our campaign, said Secretary Julián Castro. “As we continue to grow our operations in San Antonio and across the early primary states, these strategists and organizers will be invaluable to ensuring that we reach every voter, from big cities to suburbs to rural areas. With this expanded team in place we are building a strong foundation for the long road ahead.”
 
National campaign staff, based in San Antonio, TX:
Greg Diamond, Chief Operating Officer
Greg has more than 10 years of campaign and organizing experience, serving most recently as Deputy Chief Operating Officer at the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee (DCCC). Greg worked at the DCCC from 2014 through 2018, helping to build the state-based infrastructure that helped the party take back the House in 2018. Prior to joining the DCCC, Greg served as a regional operations director for President Barack Obama’s successful re-election campaign. Greg is originally from western Oregon and is happiest when he’s climbing up mountains in the summer and skiing down them in the winter.

Natalie Montelongo, Political Director
Natalie joins the campaign from the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU), where she was the National Campaign Strategist for Immigrants Rights. Her work has recently focused on President Trump’s executive orders on immigration, including his move to block refugees, his decision to rescind the DACA program, and most recently family separation. Previously, Natalie served as the National Organizing Director for Voto Latino. In the 2016 presidential campaign, Natalie joined the Hillary for America campaign, where she served as the Political Director in Colorado, and was part of the winning field team during the crucial Nevada caucuses. Natalie has also served as a Presidential Appointee in the Obama Administration at the office of the U.S. Trade Representative.

Shereen Zaid, Scheduling and Advance Director
Shereen Zaid comes to the team with more than 10 years experience in political event planning. Most recently, she was with the Texas Democratic Party, creating and overseeing the scheduling and advance department for the statewide slate of candidates. Previously, Shereen was the Director of Events for The Hill and was on the national advance team for Hillary for America. She’s worked with many political nonprofits in Washington DC, including Third Way, The Hub Project and Center for American Progress. Shereen is an Okie at heart but has found a new home in Texas.

Sawyer Hackett, Deputy National Press Secretary
Sawyer Hackett most recently served as Communications Director for Congressman David Price (D-NC) and Deputy Campaign Manager on Rep. Price's 2018 re-election campaign. Previously, Sawyer was a Presidential Appointee in the Obama administration, serving at the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) as Assistant Press Secretary and Special Assistant to Secretary Julián Castro. Sawyer, a native Virginian, has worked on several political campaigns, including on the press advance team for Hillary for America in 2016.

In New Hampshire:
Manny Espitia, New Hampshire State Director
Manny was most recently the Nashua Democratic City Committee’s Executive Director in 2018, for which he raised a record amount and helped execute a campaign plan to elect all 27 state representatives, two state senators, and one Executive Councilor to the NH State House. Prior to 2018, Manny served as the Legislative Director for Free and Fair NH. In 2017, Manny served in the office of U.S. Senator Maggie Hassan, and in 2016 he was an Assistant to Mayor Jim Donchess of Nashua. In the 2016 presidential cycle, Manny worked on the Hillary for America Primary campaign. Additionally, Manny worked in Texas for the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee (DCCC) and President Obama’s re-election campaign in New Mexico. In 2018, Manny was elected a State Representative in the New Hampshire state legislature for Nashua.

Lauren Reyes, New Hampshire Organizing Director
Lauren most recently served as the Field Director for Virginia Senator Tim Kaine's re-election campaign and the Virginia Coordinated Campaign 2018, for which her team re-elected Senator Kaine with 1.9 million votes, re-elected four incumbent congressmen and flipped three congressional districts. In 2017, Lauren worked on both the Jon Ossoff for Congress campaign as well as the Virginia Coordinated Campaign 2017. In the 2016 presidential cycle, Lauren worked on the Hillary for America campaign in Greensboro, North Carolina.

In Iowa (previously announced):
Cynthia Sebian-Lander, Iowa State Director
Cynthia is an organizer who has worked on political and issue campaigns across the country. In 2018, she was Campaign Manager for Deidre DeJear who ran for Iowa Secretary of State. She helped Deidre make history during the primary as the first African American woman nominated by a major party for statewide office in Iowa. Prior to that, in 2016, Cynthia joined Hillary Clinton’s presidential campaign in Iowa as the Statewide Get Out the Vote (GOTV) Director. Before heading to Iowa, Cynthia worked for the national League of Women Voters, specializing in voting rights and advocating for voting reforms across the country. She has experience working in organized labor  with AFSCME, reproductive freedom with Planned Parenthood, environmental advocacy, and political campaigns in Alaska, New Hampshire and Virginia.

Marika Bresler, Iowa Organizing Director
Marika is a grassroots campaign professional who has worked campaigns in Ohio, Iowa, Missouri and Texas. She served as a Campus Organizer for Barack Obama's re-election campaign, Youth Organizing Director for Wendy Davis' gubernatorial race, Field Director for NextGen Climate Iowa, Organizing Director for the US Senate Campaign for Jason Kander and Deputy Coordinated Director for the Missouri Democratic Party. Most recently she served as Campaign Manager/Deputy Campaign Manager for Colin Allred's successful 2018 congressional campaign.
 
About Secretary Julián Castro
Julián Castro served as U.S. Secretary of Housing and Urban Development under President Barack Obama from 2014-2017. Before that, he was Mayor of his native San Antonio, Texas — the youngest mayor of a Top 50 American city at the time. In 2012, he gave a rousing keynote speech at the Democratic National Convention, during which he described the American Dream as a relay to be passed from generation to generation. In 2018, Castro founded Opportunity First, an organization to invest in the next generation of progressive leaders. In October 2018, Little, Brown published Castro’s memoir, An Unlikely Journey: Waking Up from My American Dream. On January 12, 2019, Secretary Castro announced his candidacy for President of the United States. Follow Julián Castro on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram. JulianfortheFuture.com and Julianparaelfuturo.com

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Press contact: press@julianforthefuture.com

Our mailing address is:
Julián for the Future
PO Box 501
San Antonio, TX 78292-0501
Julián for the Future
For Immediate Release: Saturday, February 23, 2019
Contact: Sawyer Hackett

Julián Castro Announces New Iowa Campaign Staff

Former HUD Secretary announces new Iowa campaign staff as he closes his first state visit since announcing presidential campaign

SAN ANTONIO, TX (February 23, 2019) – On Saturday, at the close of his first trip to Iowa as a presidential candidate, former Obama Secretary of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) and Mayor of San Antonio, Julián Castro, announced key new hires in the first-in-the-nation caucus state.
 
Cynthia Sebian-Lander, who most recently served as the campaign manager for Deidre DeJear’s campaign for Iowa Secretary of State, will join the campaign as the Iowa State Director, overseeing the campaign's operation in the caucus state. Marika Bresler, who most recently served as Deputy Campaign Manager for the Colin Allred for Congress (TX-32) campaign and has previously organized field efforts in Iowa, will join the campaign as Iowa Organizing Director.
 
“I’m very excited to welcome Cynthia and Marika to our growing campaign staff while in Iowa as a candidate for President,” said Julián Castro. “Their vast institutional knowledge of the state as well as their exceptional experience organizing grassroots initiatives at the local, state, and national levels will be invaluable to our efforts to reach every possible voter all over the state during this primary.”
 
From Thursday, February 21 to Saturday, February 23, Secretary Castro made his first trip as a candidate for President to Iowa. Secretary Castro joined students and Democratic activists at a town hall, held small coffee meet-and-greets with caucus voters in rural areas, and visited some of Iowa’s most diverse communities.
 
Cynthia Sebian-Lander is an organizer who has worked on political and issue campaigns across the country. In 2018, she was Campaign Manager for Deidre DeJear who ran for Iowa Secretary of State. She helped Deidre make history during the primary as the first African American woman nominated by a major party for statewide office in Iowa. Prior to that, in 2016, Cynthia joined Hillary Clinton’s presidential campaign in Iowa as the Statewide Get Out the Vote (GOTV) Director. Before heading to Iowa, Cynthia worked for the national League of Women Voters, specializing in voting rights and advocating for voting reforms across the country. She has experience working in organized labor with AFSCME; reproductive freedom with Planned Parenthood; environmental advocacy; and political campaigns in Alaska, New Hampshire and Virginia.
 
Marika Bresler is a grassroots campaign professional who has worked campaigns in Ohio, Iowa, Missouri and Texas. She served as a Campus Organizer for Barack Obama's re-election campaign, Youth Organizing Director for Wendy Davis' gubernatorial race, Field Director for NextGen Climate Iowa, Organizing Director for the US Senate Campaign for Jason Kander and Deputy Coordinated Director for the Missouri Democratic Party. Most recently she served as Campaign Manager/Deputy Campaign Manager for Colin Allred's successful 2018 congressional campaign.
 
About Secretary Julián Castro
Julián Castro served as U.S. Secretary of Housing and Urban Development under President Barack Obama from 2014-2017. Before that, he was Mayor of his native San Antonio, Texas — the youngest mayor of a Top 50 American city at the time. In 2012, he gave a rousing keynote speech at the Democratic National Convention, during which he described the American Dream as a relay to be passed from generation to generation. In 2018, Castro founded Opportunity First, an organization to invest in the next generation of progressive leaders. In October 2018, Little, Brown published Castro’s memoir, An Unlikely Journey: Waking Up from My American Dream. On January 12, 2019, Secretary Castro announced his candidacy for President of the United States. Follow Julián Castro on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram. JulianfortheFuture.com and Julianparaelfuturo.com
 
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Press contact: press@julianforthefuture.com

Our mailing address is:
Julián for the Future
PO Box 501
San Antonio, TX 78292-0501

For Immediate Release: Saturday, January 12, 2019
Contact: Jennifer Fiore  
 
***EMBARGOED UNTIL ANNOUNCED APPROX. 11:30 AM CT***

Former HUD Secretary Julián Castro Announces 2020 Presidential Campaign

Initial Campaign Leadership and Travel Schedule Announced

SAN ANTONIO, TEXAS (January 12, 2019) — Today, former U.S. Secretary of Housing and Urban Development and San Antonio Mayor, Julián Castro, announced his candidacy for President of the United States, Julián for the Future, with the campaign slogan “One Nation. One Destiny.”

Secretary Castro made his announcement in his hometown neighborhood, the westside of San Antonio, Texas, surrounded by family and supporters in Plaza Guadalupe, near the church where he was baptized, and the schools he attended as a child.
 
Secretary Castro rode the number 68 San Antonio public bus to the plaza, and livestreamed the ride from his Facebook page. This is the same bus he and his twin brother, Congressman Joaquin Castro rode to school as children.
 
Secretary Castro was introduced by his mother, Ms. Rosie Castro, a noted political activist. He was also joined on stage by his wife, Erica Lira Castro, and their children, Carina, age 9, and Christián, age 4.
 
Announcing his candidacy, Secretary Castro made remarks in both English and Spanish:
 
“When my grandmother got here almost a hundred years ago, I’m sure she never could have imagined that just two generations later, one of her grandsons would be serving as a member of the United States Congress and the other would be standing with you here today to say these words: I am a candidate for President of the United States of America.”
 
“Cuando mi abuela llegó aquí, hace ya casi cien años, estoy seguro de que nunca se imaginó que solo dos generaciones después, uno de sus nietos formaría parte del Congreso de los Estados Unidos, y que el otro estaría ante ustedes hoy diciendo las siguientes palabras: Yo soy candidato para Presidente de los Estados Unidos.”
 
The campaign also announced senior leadership and staff, and the initial travel schedule. The senior staff reflects Secretary Castro’s longstanding commitment to fostering emerging progressive leaders. The team will be innovative, nimble and dedicated to a diversity of experience, background and identity.
 
Secretary Castro’s first trip as a candidate will be to Puerto Rico, where he will deliver an address to the Latino Victory Fund and visit local residents still struggling with ongoing hurricane recovery efforts, American citizens the federal government has abandoned. He then returns to New Hampshire for the legendary Politics & Eggs program on January 16, 2019.
 
Campaign leadership:
Rep. Joaquin Castro, Campaign Chairman
Congressman Joaquin Castro, representing the 20th Congressional District in Texas, is the twin brother of Secretary Julián Castro and was born and raised in San Antonio, Texas. Congressman Castro is the Chairman of the Congressional Hispanic Caucus and serves on the Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence and the Foreign Affairs Committee.
 
Maya Rupert, Campaign Manager
Maya Rupert is the former Executive Director of Secretary Castro’s Opportunity First organization supporting young, progressive candidates for elected office. She previously served with Secretary Castro at the Department of Housing and Urban Development as a senior advisor. Ms. Rupert has an extensive background in leading progressive organizations including working for the Center for Reproductive Rights as Senior Director for Policy and the Policy Director at the National Center for
Lesbian Rights.
 
Derek Eadon, Deputy Campaign Manager
Derek is an Obama campaign alumni, serving as one of the first organizers in Iowa and then as part of the 2008 general election. Following the successful 2008 campaign, Mr. Eadon went on to serve as Organizing For America’s (OFA) state Director in 2009, and led efforts in Iowa as the General Election Campaign Director in 2012. Mr. Eadon has advised a wide variety of campaigns and organizations across the country as a campaign and digital strategist. These included Run for Something, Hillary for America, NextGen Climate Action, Ready for Hillary, Make It Work, Every Child Matters, the Truth Initiative, various clean energy advocacy organizations, court reform advocates, and National Attorneys General Association. Mr. Eadon began his career with the Iowa
Democratic Party in 2006, served as Coordinated Campaign Director for the party in 2010, and was elected the youngest ever chair of the IDP in 2017, also serving as a DNC member.
 
Jennifer Fiore, Senior Advisor for Communications and Digital
Jennifer Fiore most recently served as a senior advisor to Secretary Castro’s Opportunity First organization, and prior to that was the Deputy Assistant Secretary of Public Affairs at the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development under Secretary Castro. Ms. Fiore is the former executive director of Campaign to Unload, a coalition of organizations working on gun industry divestment, and the Vice President for Digital Strategy at West End Strategy Team.
 
Scott Atlas, Finance Chairman
Scott Atlas, a Texas native and Houston-based lawyer and legal consultant, will serve as the campaign’s Finance Chairman. Mr. Atlas brings with him considerable experience in both Texas statewide and national campaigns, including as the Harris County coordinator for both U.S. Senator Lloyd Bentsen’s reelection campaign in 1988, and the Dukakis/Bentsen ticket. In 2010, Mr. Atlas served as the Finance Chairman for Bill White’s Texas gubernatorial campaign, which, at the time, raised more money than any Texas Democrat in history. Most recently, Mr. Atlas chaired the University of Texas School of Law Endowment for Excellence, a student scholarship campaign that raised more than $43.5MM.
 
Tentative travel schedule
Sunday, January 13, 2019
San Antonio, TX to San Juan, Puerto Rico
 
Monday, January 14, 2019
  • Remarks at Latino Victory Fund Political Summit
  • Hurricane recovery site visits with San Juan Mayor Carmen Yulín Cruz
  • El Caño site visit
Tuesday, January 15, 2019
New Hampshire
 
Wednesday, January 16, 2019
“Politics and Eggs” at St. Anselm’s Institute of Politics
 
About Secretary Julián Castro
Julián Castro served as U.S. Secretary of Housing and Urban Development under President Barack Obama from 2014-2017. Before that, he was Mayor of his native San Antonio, Texas — the youngest mayor of a Top 50 American city at the time. In 2012, he gave a rousing keynote speech at the Democratic National Convention, during which he described the American Dream as a relay to be passed from generation to generation. In 2018, Castro founded Opportunity First, an organization to invest in the next generation of progressive leaders. In October 2018, Little, Brown published Castro’s memoir, An Unlikely Journey: Waking Up from My American Dream. Follow Julián Castro on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram. JulianfortheFuture.com and Julianparaelfuturo.com