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66 e Castro-led HUD achieved another major victory for housing with the finalization of the Affirmatively Furthering Fair Housing (AFFH) Rule in July 2015, which he called "an unfinished piece of business from the 1968 Fair Housing Act." e purpose of the AFFH rule is to help communities that receive HUD funding get the help they need to meet fair housing obligations in the use of HUD funds. Castro says the rule "basically says to cities and other localities that receive HUD funding, 'Work with us to create greater housing opportunity for everyone in your locality.' We look forward to working with local communities to help spark greater opportunity, create greater mobility for families, and reduce segregation." Another proposal Castro and his team at HUD are currently trying to finalize is a ban on smoking in public housing. "We're excited about that because it's going to have tremendous health benefits, especially for the young people and for the elderly to the extent that it gets implemented," Castro said. For his final year in the Obama Administration, Castro stated that the number one goal is to institutionalize place-based work. "We have focused on getting these federal departments to work across silos and to challenge local communities to do the same with thins like our Choice Neighborhoods program, Promizons, strong cities, strong communities," Castro said. "So we want to give that place- based work momentum going forward." "…THAT'S HOW GOOD HE IS" e rumblings persist that Castro is being groomed for a higher political office. He poured gasoline on the flames of speculation in October 2015 when he publicly appeared with Hillary Clinton and announced his endorsement of her for the presidency at a "Latinos for Hillary" rally in San Antonio. When asked if Castro would be her running mate, the former Secretary of State declared that day at a U.S. Hispanic Chamber of Commerce meeting in San Antonio that "I think really highly of him, and I am thrilled to have his endorsement today. Both he and his twin brother are just among the best young leaders in America, regardless of category or the fact that they come from San Antonio. I am going to look really hard at him for anything, because that's how good he is." On the topic of his brother and Hillary Clinton, Joaquin Castro, who is currently a member of the U.S. House of Representatives, told reporters last October, "My brother is proud to support Hillary. He believes that she would make the best president of the United States, Democrat or Republican. So he's going to do everything that he can, of course, to help her win." Henry Cisneros, who served as HUD Secretary during the Bill Clinton Administration, and who coincidentally like Castro is a former city councilmember and former mayor of San Antonio, told Spanish-language TV station Univision in May 2015 that "What I am hearing in Washington, including from people in Hillary Clinton's campaign, is that the first person on their lists is Julián Castro. (I'm hearing) that they don't have a second option, because he is the superior candidate considering his record, personality, demeanor, and Latin heritage. I think there is a very high possibility that Hillary Clinton may choose Julián Castro." Since no formal announcement has been made, the question remains: Is the vice presidency—or even the presidency—in the cards at some future date for Castro? If chosen to be on Clinton's ticket as VP, he would be the first Latino vice presidential candidate in the country's history. He has always deflected questions about whether or not he will be Clinton's running mate. As recently as January during an appearance on the Late Show with Stephen Colbert, Castro said he had not been approached by the Clinton campaign. When asked by DS News if he would consider a higher political position if offered the opportunity, he replied, "Oh, I doubt it … I fully expect to be back in Texas a year from now." But despite his denials, one cannot help but wonder. After all, in 2004, eight years before Castro delivered the keynote address at the Democratic National Convention, a heretofore unknown Illinois State Senator named Barack Obama delivered that same speech at the DNC. Call him what you will for now… but you may next be calling him Mr. Vice President.

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