AUSTIN, Texas _ Democratic presidential candidate Julian Castro, one of two Texans in the race, said on Monday that he will end his campaign if he can't raise $800,000 before the end of the month.
"If I can't raise $800,000 in the next 10 days _ I will have no choice but to end my race for President," Castro wrote in an email to supporters. "My presidential campaign is in dire need of financial resources to keep going.
Castro, a former mayor of San Antonio who served as secretary of housing and urban development in the second Obama administration, has struggled to poll above 1% and has not yet qualified for the November debate.
Castro raised $3.5 million through July, August and September but only has $672,000 in cash on hand.
I'm extremely proud of the historic and bold campaign we have built together.
But this is a critical moment _ if my campaign can't raise $800,000 by October 31st, my campaign will be silenced for good. Help us keep up the fight.
In September, the Democratic National Committee released tighter rules for candidates qualifying for the November presidential debate, narrowing the field and putting pressure on Castro and former El Paso congressman Beto O'Rourke.
To qualify for the November debate, candidates must meet one of two polling requirements and reach 165,000 unique donors, with 600 unique donors in at least 20 states. Candidates can receive 3% support in at least four qualifying polls or 5% support in two polls in Iowa, New Hampshire, South Carolina or Nevada. The polls must be released between Sept. 13 and seven days prior to the Nov. 20 debate.
Both Castro and O'Rourke say they have met the donor requirement,neither candidate has met the polling qualifications for the next debate. The deadline to qualify is Nov. 13.
