U.S. Representative
Joaquin Castro
Texas District 20
DemocratProgressive
Contact
Voting Profile
Legislative Record
Most Active Policy Areas
#1 healthcare#2 budget#3 other#4 defense#5 agriculture
104
Votes Analyzed
Data sources: voteview, congress.gov
Political Position
Ideology Spectrum
-0.40Progressive
Representative Joaquin Castro is a progressive Democrat whose voting record places him slightly to the left of his party's average. His ideology score of -0.400 indicates consistent alignment with liberal policy positions, particularly on healthcare and social programs.
LiberalModerateConservative
Democrat avg
Near the average for Democrats (-0.38)
Data source: VoteView NOMINATE scores (UCLA/UC San Diego)
Policy Positions
Category Breakdown
104
total votes analyzed
Overview
Joaquin Castro has represented Texas's 20th Congressional District since 2013, serving the San Antonio area. His voting record reflects priorities common among progressive Democrats, with particular focus on healthcare legislation, which comprises the largest portion of his recorded votes. Castro's voting patterns show strong party loyalty, consistently opposing Republican procedural motions (voting NAY on previous questions and resolutions) while supporting Democratic alternatives through motions to recommit. This pattern suggests he actively works within the legislative process to advance his party's policy priorities. His committee work and voting across categories indicate engagement with a range of issues including defense, agriculture, and budget matters. His 67% support rate on defense votes suggests a nuanced approach to national security that doesn't always align strictly with progressive positions on military spending.
Key Positions
- •Active engagement on healthcare policy with significant voting activity in this area
- •Consistent support for Democratic procedural positions and legislative alternatives
- •Moderate support for defense-related measures at 67% approval rate
- •Opposition to certain banking and finance measures based on recorded votes
- •Support for education-related legislation
By Policy Area
Healthcare68
47% yea53% nay
Budget & Spending9
56% yea44% nay
Other7
57% yea43% nay
Defense6
67% yea33% nay
Agriculture5
40% yea60% nay
Analysis updated: January 9, 2026
Campaign Finance
Follow the Money
Includes all authorized campaign committees (principal committee, joint fundraising, and other authorized committees). Outside spending by Super PACs and independent groups is shown separately below. Verify on FEC.gov →
Career: $7.5M
Fundraising Over Time
Raised per election cycleSpent
Contribution Sources
Individual$374K
73%
PAC / Committees$141K
27%
Individual Breakdown
Itemized (>$200)
$333K
Small Dollar (<$200)
$40K
Donation Sizes
Under $200
$52K · 14%
$200 – 499
$17K · 5%
$500 – 999
$28K · 7%
$1,000 – 1,999
$108K · 29%
$2,000+
$172K · 46%
Share of individual contribution dollars by donation size, current election cycle.
Where the Money Comes From
In-state (TX)$270K · 80%
Out-of-state$67K · 20%
Itemized individual contributions only (donations over $200 report the donor's state). Small-dollar donations are not included because the FEC does not itemize them.
TX
$270K
CA
$16K
VA
$12K
DC
$10K
NY
$10K
MD
$6K
PR
$4K
CO
$3K
Top Contributors
Top Contributing Industries
Top Donor Employers
NOT EMPLOYED$67K
SELF-EMPLOYED$48K
HARTMAN FOUNDATION$9K
THE HERRERA LAW FIRM$9K
SILBEY STRATEGIES$7K
OCANAS GROUP$7K
SERNA AND SERNA$6K
ORTIZ MCKNIGHT PLLC$6K
JOE A GAMEZ$5K
THEGROUP$5K
ARIZONA BEVERAGES$5K
ESCAMILLA & PONECK LLP$4K
Employer as self-reported by itemized donors. “Not Employed” and “Self-Employed” typically rank highest for small-dollar campaigns and include retirees.
Where the Money Goes
Spending by Purpose
Other / Uncategorized
$451K
Contributions
$42K
Fundraising
$4K
Travel
$566.54
Purpose categories are self-reported on FEC filings; large “Other” totals are common.
Top Payees
1.$77K
HM CONSULTING, LTD.
2.$75K
HACKETT, SAWYER
3.$71K
GLIDER GROUP
4.$68K
AMERICAN EXPRESS
5.$43K
BEE COMPLIANCE LLC
6.$42K
NGP VAN, INC.
7.$40K
DCCC
8.$12K
ACTBLUE TECHNICAL SERVICES
Detailed Breakdown
Expenditures
Operating Costs
$440K
Operating Offsets
$3
Net Operating
$440K
Refunds
Individual Refunds
$3K
Outside Spending (Super PACs)
Supporting
$11K
Opposing
$0
Total Outside Spending
$11K
Top Outside Spenders
01
$6KUNITED WE DREAM ACTION PAC
+$6K
02
$5KLATINO VICTORY FUND
+$5K
03
$317.61PLANNED PARENTHOOD VOTES
+$317.61
04
$139.69UNITED WE DREAM ACTION
+$139.69
05
$30SIERRA CLUB POLITICAL COMMITTEE
+$30
06
$30SIERRA CLUB INDEPENDENT ACTION
+$30
07
$22.5HUMAN RIGHTS CAMPAIGN EQUALITY VOTES
+$22.5
08
$22HUMAN RIGHTS CAMPAIGN PAC
+$22
Independent expenditures are made without coordination with the candidate. Source: FEC Schedule E filings.
Coverage: 1/1/2025 – 6/30/2026FEC: H2TX35011Updated: 8/12/2026Source: FEC.gov (all authorized committees)
Voting Record
Congressional Votes
95 votes across 10 categories