Joaquín Castro

Joaquin Castro proudly represents a portion of Bexar County in the Texas House of Representatives, which includes the cities of San Antonio and Leon Valley.  Joaquin, along with his identical twin brother Julian – the current mayor of San Antonio – are among the vanguards of a new class of Latino leaders that are emerging across the country.  He has received state and national attention as a political rising star in the Los Angeles Times, Dallas Morning News, Texas Monthly, Latina Magazine, People en Español, and numerous other publications.

Joaquin was born in San Antonio, Texas on September 16, 1974.  He was raised in San Antonio’s Westside and attended Jefferson High School before leaving his hometown to attend Stanford University, where he graduated with honors in 1996.  He received his Juris Doctorate degree from Harvard Law School in 2000.

Joaquin’s interest in public service developed at a young age from watching his parents’ involvement in political campaigns and civic causes.  His father, a retired teacher, and his mother, a community activist, instilled in him a deep respect for the democratic process.  Joaquin grew up in the world of politics and was raised to value the importance of serving one’s community.

Joaquin, elected at 28 years old in the year 2002, has served in the Texas Legislature for four terms and is currently serving his fifth.  He is the current Vice Chairman on the Higher Education Committee and is a member of the Judiciary and Civil Jurisprudence Committee.  In the Legislature, Joaquin has passionately fought to improve the quality of higher education in Texas and to expand access and affordability for students.  He has also worked tirelessly to improve public education, health care, and the juvenile justice system.

In addition to his work in the Texas Legislature, Joaquin practices law in San Antonio.  He has also taught as a visiting professor of law at St. Mary’s University and as an adjunct professor at Trinity University in San Antonio. Joaquin sits on several boards of non-profit organizations and institutions of higher education including, Achieving the Dream, the National College Advising Corps, St. Phillip’s College President’s Advisory Board, St. Mary’s University Mission and Identity Taskforce, and the National Association of Latino Elected and Appointed Officials’ (NALEO) Taskforce on Education.

  Links

  Committees