Castro forms PAC, boosts five House candidates

Former Democratic presidential candidate Julián Castro filed paperwork with the Federal Election Commission (FEC) announcing the formation of a PAC. 

The paperwork, which the FEC website shows was signed Wednesday, indicated that the People First Future PAC has donated to five Democrats: Reps. Joaquin Castro (Texas) and Lauren Underwood (Ill.) and House challengers Marie Newman (Ill.), J.D. Scholten (Iowa) and Wendy Davis (Texas). 

Underwood, a first-term lawmaker who flipped a Republican district in 2018, is running for reelection in a tight race after winning her seat by 5 points two years ago.

Meanwhile all three Democratic challengers are running in high-profile races. Newman is waging a primary fight against Rep. Dan Lipinski (D), who has earned the ire of progressives over his opposition to abortion access and past comments on the LGBTQ community. 

Scholten is running against Rep. Steve King (R), a top Democratic target who has been hammered for comments praising white nationalism, and Davis is challenging Rep. Chip Roy (R), who won his seat by fewer than 3 points in 2018. 

Castro’s PAC is an outgrowth of his failed White House campaign. The former Housing and Urban Development secretary and former San Antonio mayor dropped out of the race in January amid dwindling poll numbers. He later endorsed Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.), who dropped out earlier this month.