After Beto drops out, 4 El Paso lawmakers endorse Julián Castro for president

AUSTIN — Several Texas lawmakers who previously endorsed Beto O'Rourke in his bid for president are now supporting fellow Texan Julián Castro. Among them are legislators from O'Rourke's hometown of El Paso. 

O'Rourke on Friday announced he was ending his campaign for the Democratic nomination. Castro, former mayor of San Antonio and Secretary of Housing and Urban Development under Barack Obama, remains in the race, but has trailed others in the crowded field in the polls and fundraising. 

On Tuesday, Castro's campaign announced the new endorsements from El Paso Democrats Sen. José Rodríguez and Reps. Joe Moody, César Blanco and Art Fierro. 

Rep. Mary González endorsed Castro earlier this year. 

Other Texas lawmakers now endorsing Castro are state Reps. Gene Wu, Abel Herrero, Oscar Longoria and Ana-Maria Ramos, as well former state Rep. Jessica Farrar.

"As the field narrows, we have to continue to support voices that are amplifying critical, and often lost, issues. Secretary Castro is one of those voices," Moody said in a statement.

MORE:What's next for Beto O'Rourke after ending his 2020 presidential run?

Moody signaled his openness to supporting Castro after O'Rouke's exit in a Saturday tweet.

Rodríguez called Castro "a national leader with a clear vision for a more prosperous and diverse nation." 

“His focus on promoting equal opportunity for all Americans, including the most vulnerable, is the kind of leadership we need in a nominee to take on Donald Trump," Rodríguez said in a statement.

MORE:Julián Castro the last Texan standing in 2020 race but still running uphill

Castro faces an uphill climb in the 2020 presidential race. He's yet to qualify for the November debate and has less than two weeks to make the cut. 

In Texas, a University of Texas/Texas Tribune poll released Monday showed Castro garnering 2 percent support among respondents who said they plan to vote in the March 3, 2020, primary. That poll was conducted before O'Rourke left the race. 

Castro was able to meet a $800,000 fundraising goal set for the campaign. In an Oct. 21 fundraising email, Castro told supporters his campaign is "in dire need of financial resources to keep going" and threatened to drop out of the race if he didn't meet the goal by the end of the month.  

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Castro has already met the donor requirement to qualify for the November debate, but he hasn't yet met the polling mark. Also on Tuesday, Castro's campaign announced a $50,000 ad buy in Iowa. 

“As the ground continues to shift in the 2020 race and more voters than ever remain undecided, Secretary Castro is picking up momentum, securing support in critical states like Iowa, Nevada, and Texas, and demonstrating why he’s the best candidate to supercharge the coalitions needed to beat Donald Trump,” Campaign Manager Maya Rupert said in a statement. 

Staff writer John Moritz contributed to this report. 

Eleanor Dearman covers the Texas Capitol and politics for the USA TODAY Network Austin Bureau and the El Paso Times. She may be reached at 361-244-0047; edearman@elpasotimes.com; @EllyDearman on Twitter.