Castro Campaign Press Release - Julián Castro Announces New Iowa Campaign Staff

Former HUD Secretary announces new Iowa campaign staff as he closes his first state visit since announcing presidential campaign

SAN ANTONIO, TX (February 23, 2019) – On Saturday, at the close of his first trip to Iowa as a presidential candidate, former Obama Secretary of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) and Mayor of San Antonio, Julián Castro, announced key new hires in the first-in-the-nation caucus state.

Cynthia Sebian-Lander, who most recently served as the campaign manager for Deidre DeJear's campaign for Iowa Secretary of State, will join the campaign as the Iowa State Director, overseeing the campaign's operation in the caucus state. Marika Bresler, who most recently served as Deputy Campaign Manager for the Colin Allred for Congress (TX-32) campaign and has previously organized field efforts in Iowa, will join the campaign as Iowa Organizing Director.

"I'm very excited to welcome Cynthia and Marika to our growing campaign staff while in Iowa as a candidate for President," said Julián Castro. "Their vast institutional knowledge of the state as well as their exceptional experience organizing grassroots initiatives at the local, state, and national levels will be invaluable to our efforts to reach every possible voter all over the state during this primary."

From Thursday, February 21 to Saturday, February 23, Secretary Castro made his first trip as a candidate for President to Iowa. Secretary Castro joined students and Democratic activists at a town hall, held small coffee meet-and-greets with caucus voters in rural areas, and visited some of Iowa's most diverse communities.

Cynthia Sebian-Lander is an organizer who has worked on political and issue campaigns across the country. In 2018, she was Campaign Manager for Deidre DeJear who ran for Iowa Secretary of State. She helped Deidre make history during the primary as the first African American woman nominated by a major party for statewide office in Iowa. Prior to that, in 2016, Cynthia joined Hillary Clinton's presidential campaign in Iowa as the Statewide Get Out the Vote (GOTV) Director. Before heading to Iowa, Cynthia worked for the national League of Women Voters, specializing in voting rights and advocating for voting reforms across the country. She has experience working in organized labor with AFSCME; reproductive freedom with Planned Parenthood; environmental advocacy; and political campaigns in Alaska, New Hampshire and Virginia.

Marika Bresler is a grassroots campaign professional who has worked campaigns in Ohio, Iowa, Missouri and Texas. She served as a Campus Organizer for Barack Obama's re-election campaign, Youth Organizing Director for Wendy Davis' gubernatorial race, Field Director for NextGen Climate Iowa, Organizing Director for the US Senate Campaign for Jason Kander and Deputy Coordinated Director for the Missouri Democratic Party. Most recently she served as Campaign Manager/Deputy Campaign Manager for Colin Allred's successful 2018 congressional campaign.