Castro campaign expands after debate bump

Julián Castro will announce more than a dozen new hires and promotions for his presidential campaign Thursday, including installing an organizing director and political director in key primary states after a strong showing in June’s Democratic debates.

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The slate of new hires include finance, digital and communications positions in Castro’s San Antonio campaign headquarters, as well as new South Carolina organizing director Elizabeth Noble and Nevada political director Michael Cullen. Noble previously worked for a local statehouse official and Cullen for a law firm.

The expanded finance team includes national finance director Joseph Czajkowski, who previously was finance director for the Arizona Democratic Party; deputy finance director Benjamin Staton, who was Iowa secretary of state candidate Deidre Dejear’s finance director in 2018; and finance assistant Cassie Baars, who served as the deputy campaign manager for Illinois state House candidate Jake Castanza.

Brielle Insler, previously of the digital marketing firm Düable, is joining Castro’s campaign as digital director, and Ashley Fairbanks, who worked on Rep. Ilhan Omar’s campaign, will serve as creative director.

Castro’s press shop is also adding a pair of deputy communications directors: Sebastian Kitchen, who served as communications director during Doug Jones’ victorious Senate campaign in Alabama, and Alex Sarabia, a former communications and policy adviser to San Antonio Mayor Ron Nirenberg. Castro has also hired deputy press secretary Liza Acevedo, who was previously a spokeswoman for New Jersey state House Speaker Craig J. Coughlin.

The campaign promoted three other staffers to new roles across the campaign: Sawyer Hackett is now national press secretary, after joining the campaign as deputy press secretary earlier this year. Kristian Carranza was promoted to Nevada state director after previously filling an organizing role in the state. And Lauren Reyes has transitioned from New Hampshire organizing director to state programs director.

Castro’s campaign has seen a boost in media attention and polling since his performance during the first Democratic presidential debates last month, when he confronted fellow Texan Beto O’Rourke onstage. Castro raised more than $1 million in the four days that followed, and the former Housing and Urban Development secretary has hit at least 2 percent in three recent polls, with four required to qualify for the September debates.

“We’ve seen an incredible outpouring of support and enthusiasm for Julián’s campaign following the first debate,” said campaign manager Maya Rupert. “As more and more Americans learn about his candidacy and our support continues to grow, so too will our campaign’s presence across the country. We’re excited to announce a new slate of talented operatives and organizers from all different backgrounds to help fulfill Julián’s vision for a more prosperous country for all of us.”