Andres Castro

[{"question": "Ballotpedia survey responses", "answer_html": "<p>See also: <a href=\"/Ballotpedia%27s_Candidate_Connection\">Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection</a></p>\n<div class=\"row\"><div class=\"col-xs-10 col-md-6 col-xs-offset-1 col-md-offset-3\"><p><a href=\"https://ballotpedia.org/Ballotpedia%27s_Candidate_Connection\"><img align=\"middle\" alt=\"Candidate Connection\" src=\"https://cdn.ballotpedia.org/images/8/88/Candidate_Connection_Logo.png\" width=\"90%\"/></a></p></div></div>\n<p>Andres Castro completed <a href=\"/Ballotpedia%27s_Candidate_Connection\">Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection</a> survey in 2025. The survey questions appear in bold and are followed by Castro's responses.</p>\n<p><span class=\"expand-all\">Expand all</span> | <span class=\"collapse-all\">Collapse all</span></p>\n<div aria-multiselectable=\"true\" class=\"panel-group\" id=\"accordion\" role=\"tablist\"><div class=\"panel panel-default\"><div class=\"panel-heading\" data-toggle=\"collapse\" href=\"#collapse-bio-310461-2025-09-18\" id=\"heading-bio-310461-2025-09-18\" role=\"tab\"><p class=\"panel-title\" style=\"font-size: 14px;font-weight: 600;\"><a aria-controls=\"collapse-bio-310461-2025-09-18\" aria-expanded=\"false\" class=\"collapsed\" data-parent=\"#accordion\" data-toggle=\"collapse\" href=\"#collapse-bio-310461-2025-09-18\" role=\"button\"><i class=\"fa fa-chevron-right pull-right\"></i><i class=\"fa fa-chevron-down pull-right\"></i>\t\t\t\tWho are you? Tell us about yourself.\t\t\t</a></p></div><div aria-labelledby=\"heading-bio-310461-2025-09-18\" class=\"panel-collapse collapse\" id=\"collapse-bio-310461-2025-09-18\" role=\"tabpanel\"><div class=\"panel-body\" style=\"max-height: 500px; overflow-y: scroll;\"><div class=\"answers-container\"><span style=\"font-size: 14px;\">\t\t\t\tI’m Andres Castro. I’m the proud son of once undocumented immigrants from Acapulco, Mexico, and I grew up in Marietta and Powder Springs. I live in Oakland City, Atlanta, where family comes first and community is the point, not an afterthought.\r\n<p>I’m a staff software engineer with a Computer Science degree from Kennesaw State University. I build complex systems, lead teams, and ship things that have to work for real people. That builder mindset shapes how I move: listen carefully, map the problem, fix what’s broken, and keep iterating until it serves the community.\r\n</p><p>My compass is family. I’m guided by my family, by the elders who raised me, and by the little ones who are watching what we build. They remind me why stability and belonging matter and why we fight for them. I’m a working-class advocate because I’ve seen the strength in our neighborhoods and how often that strength gets ignored.\r\n</p><p>The values that drive me are simple and personal: grit, community, and keeping families together. I show up, I listen hard, and I organize side by side with the people who make this city run. \r\n</p>\nMy journey is rooted in gratitude for what my parents risked and pride in the community that raised me, and it’s a promise to fight so more families feel the safety and belonging mine fights for every day.\t\t\t</span></div></div></div></div><div class=\"panel panel-default\"><div class=\"panel-heading\" data-toggle=\"collapse\" href=\"#collapse-key-message-310461-2025-09-18\" id=\"heading-key-message-310461-2025-09-18\" role=\"tab\"><p class=\"panel-title\" style=\"font-size: 14px;font-weight: 600;\"><a aria-controls=\"collapse-key-message-310461-2025-09-18\" aria-expanded=\"false\" class=\"collapsed\" data-parent=\"#accordion\" data-toggle=\"collapse\" href=\"#collapse-key-message-310461-2025-09-18\" role=\"button\"><i class=\"fa fa-chevron-right pull-right\"></i><i class=\"fa fa-chevron-down pull-right\"></i>\t\t\t\tPlease list below 3 key messages of your campaign. What are the main points you want voters to remember about your goals for your time in office?\t\t\t</a></p></div><div aria-labelledby=\"heading-key-message-310461-2025-09-18\" class=\"panel-collapse collapse\" id=\"collapse-key-message-310461-2025-09-18\" role=\"tabpanel\"><div class=\"panel-body\" style=\"max-height: 500px; overflow-y: scroll;\"><div class=\"answers-container\"><span style=\"font-size: 14px;\"><ul><li>Housing is a right. We will build and rehab affordable and public housing at scale, stop displacement with real tenant protections, and tie development to good union jobs. Community land trusts, right to counsel for renters, and pathways to ownership will keep families rooted in the neighborhoods they built.</li><li>Healthcare for all. Medicare for All means full coverage with no premiums, deductibles, or surprise bills. We will wipe out medical debt, expand clinics and mental health care, and take on drug price gouging. Your health should not depend on your bank account or your ZIP code.</li><li>Power to workers. A living federal minimum wage indexed to inflation. Pass the PRO Act so people can organize without fear. Close corporate tax loopholes. Make AI and automation work for people through standards, transparency, and no-cost training so the next job is better, not gone.</li></ul></span></div></div></div></div><div class=\"panel panel-default\"><div class=\"panel-heading\" data-toggle=\"collapse\" href=\"#collapse1-310461-2025-09-18\" id=\"heading1-310461-2025-09-18\" role=\"tab\"><p class=\"panel-title\" style=\"font-size: 14px;font-weight: 600;\"><a aria-controls=\"collapse1-310461-2025-09-18\" aria-expanded=\"false\" class=\"collapsed\" data-parent=\"#accordion\" data-toggle=\"collapse\" href=\"#collapse1-310461-2025-09-18\" role=\"button\"><i class=\"fa fa-chevron-right pull-right\"></i><i class=\"fa fa-chevron-down pull-right\"></i>\t\t\t\tWhat areas of public policy are you personally passionate about?\t\t\t</a></p></div><div aria-labelledby=\"heading1-310461-2025-09-18\" class=\"panel-collapse collapse\" id=\"collapse1-310461-2025-09-18\" role=\"tabpanel\"><div class=\"panel-body\" style=\"max-height: 500px; overflow-y: scroll;\"><div class=\"answers-container\"><span style=\"font-size: 14px;\">\t\t\t\tI’m passionate about housing justice, Universal Healthcare, and a living wage with strong unions. <br/><br/>\n<p>I want transparent government, participatory budgeting, and to close corporate loopholes. <br/><br/>\r\nI fight for reproductive freedom, voting rights, LGBTQ+ equality, and real public safety with accountability and ending mass incarceration. <br/><br/>\r\nI support humane immigration with a path to citizenship and an end to for-profit detention. <br/><br/>\n</p>\nAbroad, I support a permanent ceasefire and ending the genocide in Palestine, full humanitarian access, and a rights-based peace.\t\t\t</span></div></div></div></div><div class=\"panel panel-default\"><div class=\"panel-heading\" data-toggle=\"collapse\" href=\"#collapse2-310461-2025-09-18\" id=\"heading2-310461-2025-09-18\" role=\"tab\"><p class=\"panel-title\" style=\"font-size: 14px;font-weight: 600;\"><a aria-controls=\"collapse2-310461-2025-09-18\" aria-expanded=\"false\" class=\"collapsed\" data-parent=\"#accordion\" data-toggle=\"collapse\" href=\"#collapse2-310461-2025-09-18\" role=\"button\"><i class=\"fa fa-chevron-right pull-right\"></i><i class=\"fa fa-chevron-down pull-right\"></i>\t\t\t\tWho do you look up to? Whose example would you like to follow, and why?\t\t\t</a></p></div><div aria-labelledby=\"heading2-310461-2025-09-18\" class=\"panel-collapse collapse\" id=\"collapse2-310461-2025-09-18\" role=\"tabpanel\"><div class=\"panel-body\" style=\"max-height: 500px; overflow-y: scroll;\"><div class=\"answers-container\"><span style=\"font-size: 14px;\">\t\t\t\tMy mother, her undocumented journey, filled with struggle and determination, continues to fuel my fight for immigration reform and dignity for every family.\t\t\t</span></div></div></div></div><div class=\"panel panel-default\"><div class=\"panel-heading\" data-toggle=\"collapse\" href=\"#collapse3-310461-2025-09-18\" id=\"heading3-310461-2025-09-18\" role=\"tab\"><p class=\"panel-title\" style=\"font-size: 14px;font-weight: 600;\"><a aria-controls=\"collapse3-310461-2025-09-18\" aria-expanded=\"false\" class=\"collapsed\" data-parent=\"#accordion\" data-toggle=\"collapse\" href=\"#collapse3-310461-2025-09-18\" role=\"button\"><i class=\"fa fa-chevron-right pull-right\"></i><i class=\"fa fa-chevron-down pull-right\"></i>\t\t\t\tWhat characteristics or principles are most important for an elected official?\t\t\t</a></p></div><div aria-labelledby=\"heading3-310461-2025-09-18\" class=\"panel-collapse collapse\" id=\"collapse3-310461-2025-09-18\" role=\"tabpanel\"><div class=\"panel-body\" style=\"max-height: 500px; overflow-y: scroll;\"><div class=\"answers-container\"><span style=\"font-size: 14px;\">\t\t\t\tBe transparent with money and decisions. Put working people over corporate power every single time.\t\t\t</span></div></div></div></div><div class=\"panel panel-default\"><div class=\"panel-heading\" data-toggle=\"collapse\" href=\"#collapse4-310461-2025-09-18\" id=\"heading4-310461-2025-09-18\" role=\"tab\"><p class=\"panel-title\" style=\"font-size: 14px;font-weight: 600;\"><a aria-controls=\"collapse4-310461-2025-09-18\" aria-expanded=\"false\" class=\"collapsed\" data-parent=\"#accordion\" data-toggle=\"collapse\" href=\"#collapse4-310461-2025-09-18\" role=\"button\"><i class=\"fa fa-chevron-right pull-right\"></i><i class=\"fa fa-chevron-down pull-right\"></i>\t\t\t\tWhat do you believe are the core responsibilities for someone elected to this office?\t\t\t</a></p></div><div aria-labelledby=\"heading4-310461-2025-09-18\" class=\"panel-collapse collapse\" id=\"collapse4-310461-2025-09-18\" role=\"tabpanel\"><div class=\"panel-body\" style=\"max-height: 500px; overflow-y: scroll;\"><div class=\"answers-container\"><span style=\"font-size: 14px;\">\t\t\t\tConstituent service first. Keep people housed, healthy, and heard. Bring federal resources home. Provide aggressive oversight so public money serves the public.\t\t\t</span></div></div></div></div><div class=\"panel panel-default\"><div class=\"panel-heading\" data-toggle=\"collapse\" href=\"#collapse5-310461-2025-09-18\" id=\"heading5-310461-2025-09-18\" role=\"tab\"><p class=\"panel-title\" style=\"font-size: 14px;font-weight: 600;\"><a aria-controls=\"collapse5-310461-2025-09-18\" aria-expanded=\"false\" class=\"collapsed\" data-parent=\"#accordion\" data-toggle=\"collapse\" href=\"#collapse5-310461-2025-09-18\" role=\"button\"><i class=\"fa fa-chevron-right pull-right\"></i><i class=\"fa fa-chevron-down pull-right\"></i>\t\t\t\tWhat legacy would you like to leave?\t\t\t</a></p></div><div aria-labelledby=\"heading5-310461-2025-09-18\" class=\"panel-collapse collapse\" id=\"collapse5-310461-2025-09-18\" role=\"tabpanel\"><div class=\"panel-body\" style=\"max-height: 500px; overflow-y: scroll;\"><div class=\"answers-container\"><span style=\"font-size: 14px;\">\t\t\t\tA legacy of change. I want to show how we can show up, do our job, and then hand off the mantel to the next generation.\t\t\t</span></div></div></div></div><div class=\"panel panel-default\"><div class=\"panel-heading\" data-toggle=\"collapse\" href=\"#collapse6-310461-2025-09-18\" id=\"heading6-310461-2025-09-18\" role=\"tab\"><p class=\"panel-title\" style=\"font-size: 14px;font-weight: 600;\"><a aria-controls=\"collapse6-310461-2025-09-18\" aria-expanded=\"false\" class=\"collapsed\" data-parent=\"#accordion\" data-toggle=\"collapse\" href=\"#collapse6-310461-2025-09-18\" role=\"button\"><i class=\"fa fa-chevron-right pull-right\"></i><i class=\"fa fa-chevron-down pull-right\"></i>\t\t\t\tWhat is the first historical event that happened in your lifetime that you remember? How old were you at the time?\t\t\t</a></p></div><div aria-labelledby=\"heading6-310461-2025-09-18\" class=\"panel-collapse collapse\" id=\"collapse6-310461-2025-09-18\" role=\"tabpanel\"><div class=\"panel-body\" style=\"max-height: 500px; overflow-y: scroll;\"><div class=\"answers-container\"><span style=\"font-size: 14px;\">\t\t\t\tMy family moved to Atlanta during the Olympics in 1996. I was 8.\t\t\t</span></div></div></div></div><div class=\"panel panel-default\"><div class=\"panel-heading\" data-toggle=\"collapse\" href=\"#collapse7-310461-2025-09-18\" id=\"heading7-310461-2025-09-18\" role=\"tab\"><p class=\"panel-title\" style=\"font-size: 14px;font-weight: 600;\"><a aria-controls=\"collapse7-310461-2025-09-18\" aria-expanded=\"false\" class=\"collapsed\" data-parent=\"#accordion\" data-toggle=\"collapse\" href=\"#collapse7-310461-2025-09-18\" role=\"button\"><i class=\"fa fa-chevron-right pull-right\"></i><i class=\"fa fa-chevron-down pull-right\"></i>\t\t\t\tWhat was your very first job? How long did you have it?\t\t\t</a></p></div><div aria-labelledby=\"heading7-310461-2025-09-18\" class=\"panel-collapse collapse\" id=\"collapse7-310461-2025-09-18\" role=\"tabpanel\"><div class=\"panel-body\" style=\"max-height: 500px; overflow-y: scroll;\"><div class=\"answers-container\"><span style=\"font-size: 14px;\">\t\t\t\tI worked at Mellow Mushroom but could only keep it for a few weeks. We didn't have a babysitter at the time for my little brother so I had to take the responsibility.\t\t\t</span></div></div></div></div><div class=\"panel panel-default\"><div class=\"panel-heading\" data-toggle=\"collapse\" href=\"#collapse8-310461-2025-09-18\" id=\"heading8-310461-2025-09-18\" role=\"tab\"><p class=\"panel-title\" style=\"font-size: 14px;font-weight: 600;\"><a aria-controls=\"collapse8-310461-2025-09-18\" aria-expanded=\"false\" class=\"collapsed\" data-parent=\"#accordion\" data-toggle=\"collapse\" href=\"#collapse8-310461-2025-09-18\" role=\"button\"><i class=\"fa fa-chevron-right pull-right\"></i><i class=\"fa fa-chevron-down pull-right\"></i>\t\t\t\tWhat qualities does the U.S. House of Representatives possess that makes it unique as an institution?\t\t\t</a></p></div><div aria-labelledby=\"heading8-310461-2025-09-18\" class=\"panel-collapse collapse\" id=\"collapse8-310461-2025-09-18\" role=\"tabpanel\"><div class=\"panel-body\" style=\"max-height: 500px; overflow-y: scroll;\"><div class=\"answers-container\"><span style=\"font-size: 14px;\">\t\t\t\tIt is closest to the people, it controls the purse, and it can move fast. The House should be the country’s early warning system and its accountability engine.\t\t\t</span></div></div></div></div><div class=\"panel panel-default\"><div class=\"panel-heading\" data-toggle=\"collapse\" href=\"#collapse9-310461-2025-09-18\" id=\"heading9-310461-2025-09-18\" role=\"tab\"><p class=\"panel-title\" style=\"font-size: 14px;font-weight: 600;\"><a aria-controls=\"collapse9-310461-2025-09-18\" aria-expanded=\"false\" class=\"collapsed\" data-parent=\"#accordion\" data-toggle=\"collapse\" href=\"#collapse9-310461-2025-09-18\" role=\"button\"><i class=\"fa fa-chevron-right pull-right\"></i><i class=\"fa fa-chevron-down pull-right\"></i>\t\t\t\tDo you believe that it's beneficial for representatives to have previous experience in government or politics?\t\t\t</a></p></div><div aria-labelledby=\"heading9-310461-2025-09-18\" class=\"panel-collapse collapse\" id=\"collapse9-310461-2025-09-18\" role=\"tabpanel\"><div class=\"panel-body\" style=\"max-height: 500px; overflow-y: scroll;\"><div class=\"answers-container\"><span style=\"font-size: 14px;\">\t\t\t\tExperience can help, but it is not the only qualification. I bring a builder’s mindset from software, lived experience from a working-class family, and a habit of open, iterative problem solving. That combination is valuable.\t\t\t</span></div></div></div></div><div class=\"panel panel-default\"><div class=\"panel-heading\" data-toggle=\"collapse\" href=\"#collapse10-310461-2025-09-18\" id=\"heading10-310461-2025-09-18\" role=\"tab\"><p class=\"panel-title\" style=\"font-size: 14px;font-weight: 600;\"><a aria-controls=\"collapse10-310461-2025-09-18\" aria-expanded=\"false\" class=\"collapsed\" data-parent=\"#accordion\" data-toggle=\"collapse\" href=\"#collapse10-310461-2025-09-18\" role=\"button\"><i class=\"fa fa-chevron-right pull-right\"></i><i class=\"fa fa-chevron-down pull-right\"></i>\t\t\t\tWhat do you perceive to be the United States' greatest challenges as a nation over the next decade?\t\t\t</a></p></div><div aria-labelledby=\"heading10-310461-2025-09-18\" class=\"panel-collapse collapse\" id=\"collapse10-310461-2025-09-18\" role=\"tabpanel\"><div class=\"panel-body\" style=\"max-height: 500px; overflow-y: scroll;\"><div class=\"answers-container\"><span style=\"font-size: 14px;\">\t\t\t\tHousing affordability, healthcare costs, wage stagnation and democratic erosion.\t\t\t</span></div></div></div></div><div class=\"panel panel-default\"><div class=\"panel-heading\" data-toggle=\"collapse\" href=\"#collapse11-310461-2025-09-18\" id=\"heading11-310461-2025-09-18\" role=\"tab\"><p class=\"panel-title\" style=\"font-size: 14px;font-weight: 600;\"><a aria-controls=\"collapse11-310461-2025-09-18\" aria-expanded=\"false\" class=\"collapsed\" data-parent=\"#accordion\" data-toggle=\"collapse\" href=\"#collapse11-310461-2025-09-18\" role=\"button\"><i class=\"fa fa-chevron-right pull-right\"></i><i class=\"fa fa-chevron-down pull-right\"></i>\t\t\t\tDo you believe that two years is the right term length for representatives?\t\t\t</a></p></div><div aria-labelledby=\"heading11-310461-2025-09-18\" class=\"panel-collapse collapse\" id=\"collapse11-310461-2025-09-18\" role=\"tabpanel\"><div class=\"panel-body\" style=\"max-height: 500px; overflow-y: scroll;\"><div class=\"answers-container\"><span style=\"font-size: 14px;\">\t\t\t\tYes for accountability, but we need public financing so members spend time serving, not dialing for dollars. Two years should mean constant feedback, not constant fundraising.\t\t\t</span></div></div></div></div><div class=\"panel panel-default\"><div class=\"panel-heading\" data-toggle=\"collapse\" href=\"#collapse12-310461-2025-09-18\" id=\"heading12-310461-2025-09-18\" role=\"tab\"><p class=\"panel-title\" style=\"font-size: 14px;font-weight: 600;\"><a aria-controls=\"collapse12-310461-2025-09-18\" aria-expanded=\"false\" class=\"collapsed\" data-parent=\"#accordion\" data-toggle=\"collapse\" href=\"#collapse12-310461-2025-09-18\" role=\"button\"><i class=\"fa fa-chevron-right pull-right\"></i><i class=\"fa fa-chevron-down pull-right\"></i>\t\t\t\tWhat are your thoughts on term limits?\t\t\t</a></p></div><div aria-labelledby=\"heading12-310461-2025-09-18\" class=\"panel-collapse collapse\" id=\"collapse12-310461-2025-09-18\" role=\"tabpanel\"><div class=\"panel-body\" style=\"max-height: 500px; overflow-y: scroll;\"><div class=\"answers-container\"><span style=\"font-size: 14px;\">\t\t\t\tEnact and defend term limits on elected offices at all levels of government via the ballot box, legislatures and the courts with an ultimate aim of enacting a congressional term limits amendment to the U.S. Constitution.\t\t\t</span></div></div></div></div><div class=\"panel panel-default\"><div class=\"panel-heading\" data-toggle=\"collapse\" href=\"#collapse13-310461-2025-09-18\" id=\"heading13-310461-2025-09-18\" role=\"tab\"><p class=\"panel-title\" style=\"font-size: 14px;font-weight: 600;\"><a aria-controls=\"collapse13-310461-2025-09-18\" aria-expanded=\"false\" class=\"collapsed\" data-parent=\"#accordion\" data-toggle=\"collapse\" href=\"#collapse13-310461-2025-09-18\" role=\"button\"><i class=\"fa fa-chevron-right pull-right\"></i><i class=\"fa fa-chevron-down pull-right\"></i>\t\t\t\tIs there a particular representative, past or present, whom you want to model yourself after?\t\t\t</a></p></div><div aria-labelledby=\"heading13-310461-2025-09-18\" class=\"panel-collapse collapse\" id=\"collapse13-310461-2025-09-18\" role=\"tabpanel\"><div class=\"panel-body\" style=\"max-height: 500px; overflow-y: scroll;\"><div class=\"answers-container\"><span style=\"font-size: 14px;\">\t\t\t\tI look to John Lewis for moral courage and organizing.\t\t\t</span></div></div></div></div><div class=\"panel panel-default\"><div class=\"panel-heading\" data-toggle=\"collapse\" href=\"#collapse14-310461-2025-09-18\" id=\"heading14-310461-2025-09-18\" role=\"tab\"><p class=\"panel-title\" style=\"font-size: 14px;font-weight: 600;\"><a aria-controls=\"collapse14-310461-2025-09-18\" aria-expanded=\"false\" class=\"collapsed\" data-parent=\"#accordion\" data-toggle=\"collapse\" href=\"#collapse14-310461-2025-09-18\" role=\"button\"><i class=\"fa fa-chevron-right pull-right\"></i><i class=\"fa fa-chevron-down pull-right\"></i>\t\t\t\tDo you believe that compromise is necessary or desirable for policymaking?\t\t\t</a></p></div><div aria-labelledby=\"heading14-310461-2025-09-18\" class=\"panel-collapse collapse\" id=\"collapse14-310461-2025-09-18\" role=\"tabpanel\"><div class=\"panel-body\" style=\"max-height: 500px; overflow-y: scroll;\"><div class=\"answers-container\"><span style=\"font-size: 14px;\">\t\t\t\tCompromise on details, not on people’s rights or dignity. Negotiate timelines and tactics, not trade away housing as a right, Medicare for All, workers’ power, civil rights, or basic human rights abroad.\t\t\t</span></div></div></div></div><div class=\"panel panel-default\"><div class=\"panel-heading\" data-toggle=\"collapse\" href=\"#collapse15-310461-2025-09-18\" id=\"heading15-310461-2025-09-18\" role=\"tab\"><p class=\"panel-title\" style=\"font-size: 14px;font-weight: 600;\"><a aria-controls=\"collapse15-310461-2025-09-18\" aria-expanded=\"false\" class=\"collapsed\" data-parent=\"#accordion\" data-toggle=\"collapse\" href=\"#collapse15-310461-2025-09-18\" role=\"button\"><i class=\"fa fa-chevron-right pull-right\"></i><i class=\"fa fa-chevron-down pull-right\"></i>\t\t\t\tHow should the U.S. House use its investigative powers?\t\t\t</a></p></div><div aria-labelledby=\"heading15-310461-2025-09-18\" class=\"panel-collapse collapse\" id=\"collapse15-310461-2025-09-18\" role=\"tabpanel\"><div class=\"panel-body\" style=\"max-height: 500px; overflow-y: scroll;\"><div class=\"answers-container\"><span style=\"font-size: 14px;\">\t\t\t\tStart with agencies and contractors that violate rights. Investigate ICE and DHS for civil rights abuses, deaths in custody, family separation, unlawful surveillance, and retaliation during this administration and before. Do unannounced inspections, compel documents and testimony, and protect whistleblowers. Audit federal grants that fuel abusive practices in detention and policing.\t\t\t</span></div></div></div></div><div class=\"panel panel-default\"><div class=\"panel-heading\" data-toggle=\"collapse\" href=\"#collapse16-310461-2025-09-18\" id=\"heading16-310461-2025-09-18\" role=\"tab\"><p class=\"panel-title\" style=\"font-size: 14px;font-weight: 600;\"><a aria-controls=\"collapse16-310461-2025-09-18\" aria-expanded=\"false\" class=\"collapsed\" data-parent=\"#accordion\" data-toggle=\"collapse\" href=\"#collapse16-310461-2025-09-18\" role=\"button\"><i class=\"fa fa-chevron-right pull-right\"></i><i class=\"fa fa-chevron-down pull-right\"></i>\t\t\t\tWhat role should the United States government have in the development or use of artificial intelligence?\t\t\t</a></p></div><div aria-labelledby=\"heading16-310461-2025-09-18\" class=\"panel-collapse collapse\" id=\"collapse16-310461-2025-09-18\" role=\"tabpanel\"><div class=\"panel-body\" style=\"max-height: 500px; overflow-y: scroll;\"><div class=\"answers-container\"><span style=\"font-size: 14px;\">\t\t\t\tSet worker-first guardrails. Require impact assessments, independent audits, and plain-language disclosures. Protect data rights. Ban exploitative surveillance and algorithmic discrimination.\t\t\t</span></div></div></div></div><div class=\"panel panel-default\"><div class=\"panel-heading\" data-toggle=\"collapse\" href=\"#collapse17-310461-2025-09-18\" id=\"heading17-310461-2025-09-18\" role=\"tab\"><p class=\"panel-title\" style=\"font-size: 14px;font-weight: 600;\"><a aria-controls=\"collapse17-310461-2025-09-18\" aria-expanded=\"false\" class=\"collapsed\" data-parent=\"#accordion\" data-toggle=\"collapse\" href=\"#collapse17-310461-2025-09-18\" role=\"button\"><i class=\"fa fa-chevron-right pull-right\"></i><i class=\"fa fa-chevron-down pull-right\"></i>\t\t\t\tWhat legislation would you enact related to election administration in the United States?\t\t\t</a></p></div><div aria-labelledby=\"heading17-310461-2025-09-18\" class=\"panel-collapse collapse\" id=\"collapse17-310461-2025-09-18\" role=\"tabpanel\"><div class=\"panel-body\" style=\"max-height: 500px; overflow-y: scroll;\"><div class=\"answers-container\"><span style=\"font-size: 14px;\">\t\t\t\tAutomatic voter registration.\t\t\t</span></div></div></div></div></div>\n<div class=\"small\" data-nosnippet=\"\"><p><i><b>Note:</b> Ballotpedia reserves the right to edit Candidate Connection survey responses. Any edits made by Ballotpedia will be clearly marked with [brackets] for the public. If the candidate disagrees with an edit, he or she may request the full removal of the survey response from Ballotpedia.org. Ballotpedia does not edit or correct typographical errors unless the candidate's campaign requests it.</i></p></div>", "answer_text": "See also: Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection\n\nAndres Castro completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey in 2025. The survey questions appear in bold and are followed by Castro's responses.\nExpand all | Collapse all\nWho are you? Tell us about yourself. I’m Andres Castro. I’m the proud son of once undocumented immigrants from Acapulco, Mexico, and I grew up in Marietta and Powder Springs. I live in Oakland City, Atlanta, where family comes first and community is the point, not an afterthought. I’m a staff software engineer with a Computer Science degree from Kennesaw State University. I build complex systems, lead teams, and ship things that have to work for real people. That builder mindset shapes how I move: listen carefully, map the problem, fix what’s broken, and keep iterating until it serves the community. My compass is family. I’m guided by my family, by the elders who raised me, and by the little ones who are watching what we build. They remind me why stability and belonging matter and why we fight for them. I’m a working-class advocate because I’ve seen the strength in our neighborhoods and how often that strength gets ignored. The values that drive me are simple and personal: grit, community, and keeping families together. I show up, I listen hard, and I organize side by side with the people who make this city run. My journey is rooted in gratitude for what my parents risked and pride in the community that raised me, and it’s a promise to fight so more families feel the safety and belonging mine fights for every day. Please list below 3 key messages of your campaign. What are the main points you want voters to remember about your goals for your time in office? Housing is a right. We will build and rehab affordable and public housing at scale, stop displacement with real tenant protections, and tie development to good union jobs. Community land trusts, right to counsel for renters, and pathways to ownership will keep families rooted in the neighborhoods they built. Healthcare for all. Medicare for All means full coverage with no premiums, deductibles, or surprise bills. We will wipe out medical debt, expand clinics and mental health care, and take on drug price gouging. Your health should not depend on your bank account or your ZIP code. Power to workers. A living federal minimum wage indexed to inflation. Pass the PRO Act so people can organize without fear. Close corporate tax loopholes. Make AI and automation work for people through standards, transparency, and no-cost training so the next job is better, not gone. What areas of public policy are you personally passionate about? I’m passionate about housing justice, Universal Healthcare, and a living wage with strong unions. I want transparent government, participatory budgeting, and to close corporate loopholes. I fight for reproductive freedom, voting rights, LGBTQ+ equality, and real public safety with accountability and ending mass incarceration. I support humane immigration with a path to citizenship and an end to for-profit detention. Abroad, I support a permanent ceasefire and ending the genocide in Palestine, full humanitarian access, and a rights-based peace. Who do you look up to? Whose example would you like to follow, and why? My mother, her undocumented journey, filled with struggle and determination, continues to fuel my fight for immigration reform and dignity for every family. What characteristics or principles are most important for an elected official? Be transparent with money and decisions. Put working people over corporate power every single time. What do you believe are the core responsibilities for someone elected to this office? Constituent service first. Keep people housed, healthy, and heard. Bring federal resources home. Provide aggressive oversight so public money serves the public. What legacy would you like to leave? A legacy of change. I want to show how we can show up, do our job, and then hand off the mantel to the next generation. What is the first historical event that happened in your lifetime that you remember? How old were you at the time? My family moved to Atlanta during the Olympics in 1996. I was 8. What was your very first job? How long did you have it? I worked at Mellow Mushroom but could only keep it for a few weeks. We didn't have a babysitter at the time for my little brother so I had to take the responsibility. What qualities does the U.S. House of Representatives possess that makes it unique as an institution? It is closest to the people, it controls the purse, and it can move fast. The House should be the country’s early warning system and its accountability engine. Do you believe that it's beneficial for representatives to have previous experience in government or politics? Experience can help, but it is not the only qualification. I bring a builder’s mindset from software, lived experience from a working-class family, and a habit of open, iterative problem solving. That combination is valuable. What do you perceive to be the United States' greatest challenges as a nation over the next decade? Housing affordability, healthcare costs, wage stagnation and democratic erosion. Do you believe that two years is the right term length for representatives? Yes for accountability, but we need public financing so members spend time serving, not dialing for dollars. Two years should mean constant feedback, not constant fundraising. What are your thoughts on term limits? Enact and defend term limits on elected offices at all levels of government via the ballot box, legislatures and the courts with an ultimate aim of enacting a congressional term limits amendment to the U.S. Constitution. Is there a particular representative, past or present, whom you want to model yourself after? I look to John Lewis for moral courage and organizing. Do you believe that compromise is necessary or desirable for policymaking? Compromise on details, not on people’s rights or dignity. Negotiate timelines and tactics, not trade away housing as a right, Medicare for All, workers’ power, civil rights, or basic human rights abroad. How should the U.S. House use its investigative powers? Start with agencies and contractors that violate rights. Investigate ICE and DHS for civil rights abuses, deaths in custody, family separation, unlawful surveillance, and retaliation during this administration and before. Do unannounced inspections, compel documents and testimony, and protect whistleblowers. Audit federal grants that fuel abusive practices in detention and policing. What role should the United States government have in the development or use of artificial intelligence? Set worker-first guardrails. Require impact assessments, independent audits, and plain-language disclosures. Protect data rights. Ban exploitative surveillance and algorithmic discrimination. What legislation would you enact related to election administration in the United States? Automatic voter registration.\nNote: Ballotpedia reserves the right to edit Candidate Connection survey responses. Any edits made by Ballotpedia will be clearly marked with [brackets] for the public. If the candidate disagrees with an edit, he or she may request the full removal of the survey response from Ballotpedia.org. Ballotpedia does not edit or correct typographical errors unless the candidate's campaign requests it."}]