WASHINGTON — Marking a first for Hispanics, the Democratic party has chosen the mayor of San Antonio to deliver the keynote address at the Democratic National Convention.
The party announced Tuesday that Mayor Julian Castro will deliver the high-profile, prime-time address on the convention’s opening night, Sept. 4., in Charlotte, N.C.
First lady Michelle Obama will also address convention delegates — and a nationwide television audience — on the same night.
Castro, 37, is the youngest mayor of a major U.S. city and the first Hispanic selected to deliver the keynote address at the Democratic convention.
President Barack Obama is banking on Hispanic support in battleground states like Florida, Colorado and Nevada as he seeks to break away from Republican rival Mitt Romney.
As keynote speaker, Castro will step into the same role that propelled Obama into the national political spotlight. Then a little-known state lawmaker running for the U.S. Senate from Illinois, Obama delivered the convention keynote in 2004.
Castro’s star power among Democrats has skyrocketed since he became mayor in 2009.
In his convention speech, Castro is likely to tell his personal story of being raised in San Antonio by a prominent Latino-rights advocate with his twin brother, Joaquin, who is likely this November to win the congressional seat held by retiring Democratic Rep. Charlie Gonzalez. The brothers are Harvard law graduates
