Friday, March 29, 2024

Julián Castro tells supporters he will have to drop out of race if he doesn’t raise enough money in 10 days

The campaign of Julián Castro, the only Latino vying for the Democratic presidential nomination, announced in an email yesterday that he will be forced to drop out of the race if he does not raise $800,000 during the next 10 days.

“Our campaign is facing its biggest challenge yet,” said campaign manager Maya Rupert in an email to the press. “Secretary Castro has run a historic campaign that has changed the nature of the 2020 election and pushed the Democratic Party on a number of big ideas. Unfortunately, we do not see a path to victory that doesn’t include making the November debate stage — and without a significant uptick in our fundraising, we cannot make that debate.”

Castro’s campaign has not met the polling requirement to qualify for the Democratic debate on Nov. 20. He has struggled to gain traction in polls and his campaign has little cash on hand compared to other candidates.

At the end of September, Castro’s campaign reported $672,333 cash on hand, according to FEC filings. Some of the higher polling candidates have millions of dollars on hand and unlike those who hold office, like Sens. Bernie Sanders and Elizabeth Warren, Castro is not able to transfer money from a previous campaign chest.

Just one month ago, Sen. Cory Booker’s campaign announced he had to raise nearly $2 million in 10 days or he had no “legitimate long-term path forward.” Booker eventually reached the goal, which was higher than Castro’s.

This is not the first time Castro has announced that the end of his campaign could be near. In late September he wrote in an email to supporters: “If I don’t make the next debate stage, it will be the end of my campaign.”

NBC NEWS