Julian Castro, who served as secretary of Housing and Urban Development under President Obama, indicated he’s planning to run for president in 2020.
“I’m likely to do it,” he told Rolling Stone in an interview published Tuesday. “I’ll make a final decision after November, but I’m inclined to do it.”
Castro told the magazine he and wife are “going to take a long, hard look” at the commitment it would take to run for president, as the couple has two young children.
“I have a strong vision for the country. I believe that our country’s going in the wrong direction and that it needs new leadership,” he said.
Castro has been campaigning in battleground states for Democrats ahead of the 2018 midterm elections, including Nevada, Florida and Arizona. Last weekend he was in Iowa, a key stop for presidential candidates.
In another move seen as preparing for a presidential run, Castro, who is also a former mayor of San Antonio, Texas, released his memoir, An Unlikely Journey: Waking up from my American Dream, on Tuesday.