Edgardo Báez’s challenge to Democratic Rep. Joaquin Castro in Congressional District 20 got its start more than 1,000 miles away.

It was on a family cruise to Cuba that the seed was first planted.

“We were in Cuba, and it was the most horrendous trip of our lives,” he said.

Joined by his wife, two daughters and his father-in-law, they vacationed to the island nation in 2016.

For Báez, it was one horror after another: No public bathroom, no water fountains and chicken soup at a restaurant that had no chicken and all broth.

“There it is right there, socialism, communism,” Báez said.

Seven years later, Castro voted against a Republican-crafted resolution “denouncing the horrors of socialism.” He then voted against a similar resolution in 2025.

For Báez, this was enough to make him challenge Castro for the San Antonio-area seat, despite living in District 23, which currently sits vacant.

“He wants to bring socialism here,” Báez said of Castro.

Castro is not a member of the Democratic Socialists of America, nor is he endorsed by the group. When a third similar resolution came to a vote this September, Castro and nearly the entire Democratic caucus voted against it. Tied into it were expressions of support for other Republican priorities like the SAVE America Act.

These resolutions are not laws, they are often used as political messaging by the party in power — but Castro’s “no” votes were enough to get Báez into the Nov. 3 race to point them out.

A man of many trades

Born in Puerto Rico, Báez has lived several lives since leaving the American territory to join the U.S. military as a teenager.

He’s done stints as a combat medic, paratrooper, drill sergeant, night nurse, law student, pastor, professor, lawyer, religion Ph. D. student and now congressional candidate.

After joining the Army straight out of high school, Báez eventually was stationed in San Antonio at Fort Sam Houston.

Drawn to medicine after the loss of his sister at a young age, he went through medical training while living in the city.

“Beautiful city back then,” he said.

After 14 years in the military, including a deployment to Alaska, he decided to pursue law school in 2002. He said he felt called to action after watching how the U.S. insurance system functioned in the hospitals where he worked as a night nurse, while he was a drill sergeant during the day.

“I thought I was going to sue doctors,” he said.

Off he went to the Thurgood Marshall School of Law in Houston, commuting back and forth to San Antonio, where his family lived. Báez has four daughters from three marriages.

After law school he opened a practice in San Antonio, but his time practicing family and criminal law has not exactly been smooth sailing. He’s been sued by a former partner, filed for bankruptcy at one time and was sanctioned by the Texas Bar for five years.

During this sanction period he embarked on a religious studies journey at Liberty University, a christian school in Virginia.

He earned a masters degree in divinity followed by a doctorate, the university confirmed.

And in this David-vs.-Goliath congressional race, his campaign believes they have God on their side.

The campaign’s Army Chaplain Noraliz Masonette said she was drawn to working with Báez because of his strong faith. She prays for his campaign daily.

“We want to be good stewards of what the Lord has given us, and that includes supernatural strength and energy to continue in the campaign,” she said.

She said that Báez’s time serving in the Army shows he knows how to work hard and be sacrificial.

Báez has spent time as a pastor at a San Antonio church, but has now returned full-time to a new law firm he started with his wife, until he opted to run this uphill campaign.

An underdog bid

The district is solidly Democratic, and voted for Kamala Harris by 16 percentage points in 2024.

Though he’ll take every seat he can get while trying to hold onto a narrow U.S. House majority, even Speaker of the House Mike Johnson doesn’t seem to have confidence that CD20 is flippable .

The speaker has made several trips to San Antonio and South Texas, and he has rallied with nearby Republican nominees in districts 15, 23, 28 34 and 35, but not Báez.

“The RNC and the Republican Party don’t take us seriously because they don’t think we’re going to win,” Báez said.

Both Castro and his twin brother Julián Castro, the former San Antonio mayor and Biden-era Housing and Urban Development secretary, are natives of the city who have a sort of celebrity status among the community.

Castro has also elevated his national profile over the course of his last term, gaining attention for his advocacy against immigration detention centers near the city.

Báez thinks Castro devotes too much attention to this issue.

“You deserve a person in Congress that’s going to fight for you. Congressman Joaquin Castro fights for illegal immigrants,” he said.

Báez has critiqued Castro’s advocacy over conditions at the Dilley Detention Center, an immigration detention facility for families and children that lies outside of the district’s boundaries.

Báez thinks the immigration system needs to be overhauled, and he proposes a merit-based system to promote legal immigration based on workplace needs. The district is majority Hispanic, but Báez insists he will take all his constituents’ needs into account.

“I promised myself that I’m not just going to serve the Hispanic community, I have to serve every single one of them,” he said.

Báez said he talked to Department of Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin about what it would take to unseat Castro. As much as $5 million, Mullin said, in Báez’s retelling.

So far, his most recent financial disclosures say he’s raised $66,000 including a $40,000 loan from himself, sitting at roughly $6,000 in cash on hand. Castro has raised more than $500,000.

Castro, for his part, has ignored his opponent.

Since being elected to Congress in 2012, Castro has yet to be truly challenged in a reelection bid. Last cycle he ran unopposed and garnered 100% of the vote.

Looking at the issues

Front of mind on Báez’s list of priorities are education, economic and veterans issues.

Texas is one of the “worst” states when it comes to education, he said, and he fears socialism is spreading through the public education system.

“Instead of teaching students English, math, science, we’re teaching them all these doctrines,” he said.

He said the “economic failures” within the district need fixing, and spending needs more oversight. He cited Project Marvel, a project in which Congress had no role, as an example of this.

On his campaign website, Báez says service members and his fellow veterans are being treated like “second-class citizens” under Castro. He’s already working on legislation to address this, he said.

So far he’s written 11 bills to introduce if he get elected.

One of these is for U.S. Marine Corps veteran Jimmy Friesenhahn, who was shot while working as a security guard at a San Antonio bar. Friesenhahn was paralyzed, and Báez said he has visited him at a rehab center and presented him with a draft of the bill.

As for his stance on the two major pieces of veteran-related legislation before Congress now, Take Care of Americas Veterans Act and Major Richard Star Act, Báez is undecided, saying he needs to look into them to see where the funding is going.

“I’m running a campaign. It’s very difficult for me to be examining all these bills that are going to be passing or taking leadership,” Baez said.

In terms of foreign policy, he said he’s open to U.S. military action for regime change in Cuba.

“I will support any regime change of socialism or communism,” Báez said.

Bush Shapiro, who was a paratrooper with Báez in Alaska and is now helping out with the campaign, said Báez’s military background will be an asset to the district.

“Being a veteran will help him be more in touch with the constituency he has there in the 20th Congressional District,” he said.

The district is home to parts of Joint Base San Antonio, the largest joint base in the Defense Department. Shapiro also thinks Báez has the ability to bring people together from both sides of the aisle.

“He’s a real straight shooter,” he said. “He’s not in there really playing the politics.”

At its core, though, Báez said this is a race about fighting socialism.

“The moment that I find out that he voted ‘nay’ in 2023, that’s when I talked to my wife. I talked to my children, and they supported,” he said.