Texas Democrat Rep. Vicente Gonzalez (D-TX) switched his 2020 presidential campaign endorsement from fellow Texan Julián Castro to former Vice President Joe Biden.
“I think at this point in time we need to narrow the field and unite as Democrats to defeat Trump in November 2020, and that’s why I believe I’m moving my support to Vice President Joe [Biden],” Gonzalez told CNN’s State of the Union on Sunday.
The switched endorsement comes days after Castro “sharply criticized” Biden over his memory during Thursday’s debate.
“Are you forgetting what you said two minutes ago?” Castro said to Biden. “Are you forgetting what you said two minutes ago? I can’t believe that you said—two minutes ago— that they had to buy in and now you’re forgetting that. We need a health care system where you’re automatically enrolled.”
But Gonzalez said that moment was not why he switched his endorsement.
Gonzalez called Biden a “steady ship” with enough White House experience to defeat President Donald Trump.
While he called Castro— who headed Housing and Urban Development under the Obama administration and served as San Antonio’s mayor— a qualified candidate, he said there were a lot of qualified candidates to choose from.
“If you’re polling in the low single digits and you’re not raising resources, I mean it’s clearly a recipe for disaster,” Gonzalez said.
Castro’s campaign responded to the pulled endorsement, saying Gonzalez is free “to endorse” whomever he chooses.
“Congressman González is entitled to endorse whichever candidate he feels represents his values. Secretary Castro will continue to fight for a better future for all Americans, including a health care system that ensures all Americans have access to quality coverage,” Castro campaign spokesman Sawyer Hackett said in a statement.
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