His name is rarely mentioned among the members of a Republican field that’s now more than a dozen legitimate or semi-legitimate candidates deep.
He’s never before won a partisan primary, say nothing of elected office, despite two attempts in the past three years to win a U.S. House or U.S. Senate seat.
But here’s what Castro does have: A track record of using the courts and federal regulatory agencies to persistently agitate and attack former President Donald Trump, currently the race’s hands-down leader despite his legal troubles.
Castro also has money. Lots of it.
And in a development that until now has defied attention, the wealthy young businessman has loaned his nascent presidential campaign $20 million, according to disclosures filed with the Federal Election Commission.
Republican presidential candidate John Anthony Castro. Courtesy: John Anthony Castro campaign
So what does Castro, an attorney and Texas tax company executive by trade, intend to do with his self-funded campaign operation?
The answer, for now: Head to New Hampshire on Friday and begin striking at the GOP king, Castro tells Raw Story.
“Nobody's really attacking him,” Castro said of the Republican field’s approach to Trump.
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Castro’s gambit includes moving to the Granite State for the next six months where he plans to rent a house that will double as a campaign office, establish his campaign operation and attempt to convince anyone who will listen — including Democrats and independents — to join him in opposing Trump and the Republican Party “shifting toward fascism.
“I'd rather burn it down than go in this direction,” said Castro, who joins the likes of political commentator Larry Elder and businessmen Vivek Ramaswamy, Perry Johnson and Ryan Binkley as ultra-longshot Republican candidates attempting to gain interest alongside more well-known contenders such as Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, former Vice President Mike Pence and U.S. Sen. Tim Scott.
Will he buy ads? Plaster New Hampshire with anti-Trump billboards? Gin up some political stunts?
Castro wouldn’t discuss the most granular details of how he intends to poke, prod or otherwise needle the former president.
“A lot of supporters feel like an attack on Trump is an attack on them. And so we have a way of addressing that — that is going to go after him, but without alienating the voters,” Castro said. “That's what we're being very, very crafty about. And that — I don't want to reveal too much on. But yeah, we do have a strategy on that.”
But Castro did say that he plans to meet with New Hampshire state legislators beginning next week before taking his campaign “to the people.”
One of his most immediate campaign goals will be to qualify for a Republican primary debate — “that's where I can really tear Trump apart,” Castro said — despite restrictive Republican National Committee debate qualification rules that make such a feat unlikely.
For example, to qualify for an Aug. 23 candidate debate in Milwaukee, Castro must poll at least 1 percent in three national polls or in two national polls plus an early primary state such as New Hampshire. He’d also need to raise money from at least 40,000 unique donors “with at least 200 unique donors per state or territory” in at least 20 states or territories.
Oh, and he’d have to sign a pledge “agreeing to support the eventual party nominee,” which could very likely be Trump.
Presuming Castro doesn’t have an opportunity to confront Trump on stage, he may still have his chances in court.
In January, Castro sued Trump, asking a federal court to declare Trump constitutionally ineligible to become president and stop him from campaigning — citing Section 3 of the Constitution’s 14th Amendment, which disqualifies someone from holding public office if the person engages in insurrection. Castro has argued he has standing to bring such a lawsuit since he is a presidential candidate himself — a competitor to Trump who could be directly harmed by Trump’s actions.
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Castro also petitioned the Federal Election Commission — and later unsuccessfully sued the FEC after it dismissed his request — to reject Trump’s statement of candidacy, filed in November.
Trump’s campaign did not respond to requests for comment.
There’s no guarantee Castro will spend all of the $20 million he lent his campaign committee — or even much of it. Because Castro loaned his campaign the $20 million, his campaign committee could easily pay most of that money back to Castro.
But Castro says he’s quite willing to part with $20 million of his own money to make his mark on Election 2024. And making a mark, as he defines it, isn’t necessarily winning the primary — something he acknowledges will be “challenging.” Success in court and influence at the Republican National Convention are also goals.
“If this thing does gain traction and starts to take off, then then absolutely,” he said. “I've been very, very fortunate and blessed in the business world. I'm not one of these people that always wants more and more and more. I'm very content and happy with where I'm at right now in life. I don't need more. I view this more as not mine, but more as a gift to be able to do something like this. And so it doesn't faze me. If I never got that loan paid back, it wouldn't bother me.”
Castro, however, isn’t a bachelor. He’s married and has young children.
Is his wife OK with him self-funding what to many observers will look like a kamikaze presidential effort largely pointed at a former president?
“Yes, I have my family support. My wife is, of course, nervous,” Castro said. “And this is the sad part … My wife's primary concern is our children, the safety of our children. And it's a shame that we live in the United States of America. And as a candidate for public office, my wife has to be concerned about the safety of our children because of the unhinged nature of the leading candidate on the Republican side. She's actually concerned that they will be physically harmed. And let's be honest, it's an actual possibility.
“But the good thing is,” he added, “my wife is a fierce fighter like me.”
