Rep. Joaquin Castro, who's mulling Ted Cruz’s senate post, says seat is ‘winnable’

WASHINGTON, DC - DECEMBER 08: U.S. Rep. Joaquin Castro (D-TX) (R) listens during a news conference in front of the Supreme Court December 8, 2015 in Washington, DC. The Congressional Hispanic Caucus held the news conference on the day the Supreme Court hears oral arguments on Evenwel v. Abbott, "on whether voting districts should continue to be drawn by using census population data, which include noncitizen immigrants, or whether the system should be changed to count only citizens eligible to vote, as conservative challengers are seeking." (Photo by Alex Wong/Getty Images) (2015 Getty Images)

PHILADELPHIA – Texas Congressman Joaquin Castro hinted he may jump into the Senate race against former presidential candidate Sen. Ted Cruz – and he thinks he has a strong chance to win it.

"I am definitely taking a look at it," Castro said in an interview with Fox News Latino. " I think it is winnable."

Still, Castro said, the path to the Texas senate will not be easy, particularly in a Republican-leaning state.

I am definitely taking a look at it... I think it is winnable.

— Joaquin Castro

Castro and his brother Julian, the Secretary of Housing and Urban Development, are both rising Latino stars in the Democratic Party. Secretary Castro was on the shortlist to be Hillary Clinton's vice president, and will be an important surrogate for Clinton in Latino communities.

Cruz told Fox News Latino he was not surprised that Democrats are aiming for his seat. But he said he wasn’t losing sleep over it.

"We’ll gladly contrast [the Democrat’s] dismal vision with the record and principles Sen. Cruz has promoted from day one – based on defending the Constitution and fighting for jobs, freedom, and security – the very policies that have enabled Texas to thrive in spite of an ever-encroaching federal government,” Ted Cruz spokeswoman Catherine  Frazier said. “Ted Cruz is the champion Texas needs to continue battling the Washington corruption empowered by the Obama-Clinton machine."