Julian Castro, the mayor of San Antonio, has been tapped to deliver the keynote address at the Democratic National Convention in Charlotte.Castro, a 37-year-old Stanford and Harvard graduate, has been hailed as an up-and-comer in Democratic politics. He is the first Hispanic to give the Democratic keynote address -- a speaking slot that catapulted a then-little known Barack Obama into the national spotlight in 2004.
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Castro will speak on Tuesday, Sept. 4, which is the official start of the Democratic gathering. First lady Michelle Obama will also speak that night.
"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," Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa, the convention chairman, said in a statement.
Also tapped for a key speaking slot: Elizabeth Warren, the consumer advocate who is the Democratic nominee for U.S. Senate in Massachusetts. Warren will speak before former president Bill Clinton, who will enter Obama's name into nomination, on Wednesday night.
The convention will be held Sept. 4-5 at the Time Warner Cable Arena. On Sept. 6, Obama will accept the party's nomination and speak from Bank of America Stadium.
