Democrats Pick First Hispanic Keynote Speaker with San Antonio Mayor Castro

San Antonio Mayor Julian Castro was picked to be the first Hispanic keynote speaker for the upcoming Democratic National Convention. (Photo : SanAntonio.gov)

September's Democratic National Convention (DNC) will feature the first Hispanic keynote speaker, with San Antonio Mayor Julian Castro.

Democrats announced on Tuesday that Mayor Castro will deliver the prime-time address on Sept. 4, opening night of the DNC.

The decision to pick Castro might be an appeal to attract the Latino vote which both Obama and Romney are vying for, although early polls show Obama with a comfortable margin over Romney among Hispanic voters.

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Having Castro speak can help bring out voters in battleground states such as Florida and Nevada, both with a sizeable Hispanic population.

In recent years, the keynote speeches have been instrumental in showcasing future political leaders, such as in 2004's DNC keynote speech featuring then US Illinois Senator Barack Obama. Obama's speech won praise among Democrats and put a spotlight on him with the media.

Castro, in speaking about his selection spoke highly of Obama, stating, "We've come so far over the past three and a half years under Obama's leadership," he said. "And I know he's not done yet. We got a lot more work to do."

Castro's relationship with Washington D.C. has been popular with Democrats. He has spoken on behalf of Obama on immigration and energy policy and wrote a resolution urging Texas lawmakers not to create a law similar to Arizona's SB-1070, a law Obama has been against.

It is predicted that Castro's speech will entail personal stories from his time in San Antonia, living with Latino-rights advocates.

The 37-year-old Castro is the youngest mayor of a major US city and mayor to the country's seventh-largest city with nearly two-thirds of the population being Latino.

First Lady Michelle Obama will also speak on the same night as Castro.

"Having both the First Lady and Mayor Castro speak on the opening night of our convention will bring together two incredible leaders whose life stories both embody the promise of America, that if you work hard and play by the rules, you can make it," said DNC Chairman and Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa.

Democrats have also announced that former President Bill Clinton and Massachusetts senate candidate Elizabeth Warren will speak at the DNC on Sept. 5.

Vice President Joe Biden and Obama will speak on the convention's final night, Sept. 6, in an arena in Charlotte, North Carolina.