Eustaquio Castro-Mendoza

[{"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>Eustaquio Castro-Mendoza 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-Mendoza'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-390036-2025-12-26\" id=\"heading-bio-390036-2025-12-26\" role=\"tab\"><p class=\"panel-title\" style=\"font-size: 14px;font-weight: 600;\"><a aria-controls=\"collapse-bio-390036-2025-12-26\" aria-expanded=\"false\" class=\"collapsed\" data-parent=\"#accordion\" data-toggle=\"collapse\" href=\"#collapse-bio-390036-2025-12-26\" 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-390036-2025-12-26\" class=\"panel-collapse collapse\" id=\"collapse-bio-390036-2025-12-26\" 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\tEustaquio “Stock” Castro-Mendoza is a first-generation immigrant, Navy Captain (Ret.), teacher and farmer. He holds multiple degrees (B.S., M.A., M.S., and Ph.D. (ABD)) in Biology and National Security. He is a veteran of numerous military campaigns. During three decades in uniform, Captain Castro-Mendoza commanded sailors, managed critical operations, and navigated complex national security challenges. He was also a military fellow at the Council on Foreign Relations. After retiring in 2013, he taught high school science for almost a decade. Stock is now a working farmer and cattle rancher. He is the proud father of four grown children aged 25-37.\r\n<p>Stock Castro-Mendoza is a proud Hispanic American, who dedicated thirty years of his life to serving and protecting the nation he calls home. His story is not just a biography—it is a testament to the power of perseverance, patriotism, and the promise of the American Dream.\r\n</p>\nBorn into humble beginnings, Stock immigrated to the United States as a child, with his family, seeking a better future. As a young man, he understood that education, integrity, and hard work were the keys to building that future. He was commissioned in the US Navy after completing the rigorous training at Aviation Officer Candidate School, then through discipline, leadership, and excellence, rose through the ranks to retire with distinction as a Navy Captain (O-6).\t\t\t</span></div></div></div></div><div class=\"panel panel-default\"><div class=\"panel-heading\" data-toggle=\"collapse\" href=\"#collapse-key-message-390036-2025-12-26\" id=\"heading-key-message-390036-2025-12-26\" role=\"tab\"><p class=\"panel-title\" style=\"font-size: 14px;font-weight: 600;\"><a aria-controls=\"collapse-key-message-390036-2025-12-26\" aria-expanded=\"false\" class=\"collapsed\" data-parent=\"#accordion\" data-toggle=\"collapse\" href=\"#collapse-key-message-390036-2025-12-26\" 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-390036-2025-12-26\" class=\"panel-collapse collapse\" id=\"collapse-key-message-390036-2025-12-26\" role=\"tabpanel\"><div class=\"panel-body\" style=\"max-height: 500px; overflow-y: scroll;\"><div class=\"answers-container\"><span style=\"font-size: 14px;\"><ul><li>I’m running on a promise—bring back the middle class and working people. I’ll fight to bring down the cost of living with fair pricing legislation, expand childcare training and facilities so working families can breathe, and make housing less of a corporate game by limiting big corporations buying up homes. And on healthcare, I’ll cap prices on lifesaving meds like insulin and protect you from coverage denials. I’ll also fully fund rural healthcare because rural hospitals are closing and people can’t wait. I’m a 30-year Navy veteran, a teacher, a farmer/rancher,\r\nbilingual Latino—and I’ll work night and day to earn your vote. I’m not a politician—I’ll show up and deliver.</li><li>This campaign is about representation that actually represents. How many town halls has the current Congressman done? People feel ignored—and they’re right to. I’m running to show up, listen, and deliver. People deserve a representative who shows up. I’ll protect the Social Security, Medicare, and\r\nMedicaid you’ve earned—and oppose attempts to privatize Social Security. I’ll fight to restore veterans healthcare benefits. These benefits were earned with sweat and sacrifice and often paid by blood. These aren’t entitlements, they are earned! Our district deserves someone who’s present, accountable, and actually working for you. I defended the Constitution abroad, now I will defend your future here at home.</li><li>I’ll fight for rural communities and family farms—like freezing interest rates on loans for small\r\nfamily-owned farms—and I’ll push sustainable farming support. I’ll also empower the SBA to actively support small businesses and break up monopolies that crush family-run competition. I will protect water resources from overuse and contamination, promote wind and solar energy, and protect the environment for future generations. I’m a Navy veteran, a teacher, and a farmer/rancher—and I’m running to be the steady,\r\naccountable voice this district deserves.</li></ul></span></div></div></div></div><div class=\"panel panel-default\"><div class=\"panel-heading\" data-toggle=\"collapse\" href=\"#collapse1-390036-2025-12-26\" id=\"heading1-390036-2025-12-26\" role=\"tab\"><p class=\"panel-title\" style=\"font-size: 14px;font-weight: 600;\"><a aria-controls=\"collapse1-390036-2025-12-26\" aria-expanded=\"false\" class=\"collapsed\" data-parent=\"#accordion\" data-toggle=\"collapse\" href=\"#collapse1-390036-2025-12-26\" 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=\"heading1-390036-2025-12-26\" class=\"panel-collapse collapse\" id=\"collapse1-390036-2025-12-26\" 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 am passionate about making life affordable for working class Americans, lowering the cost of rents and housing, making purchasing a home affordable for our future generations, raising the minimum wage, providing healthcare for all, including reproductive and mental health, fully funding our schools and raising teacher salaries, ensuring no one is marginalized for being who they choose to be, protecting earned benefits for our seniors and veterans, promoting strong local economies in small towns and rural communities, promoting wind and solar energy, promoting a clean environment that does not endanger our precious water resources and wildlife, solving our homelessness problem, building a better future for all.\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\nEustaquio Castro-Mendoza completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey in 2025. The survey questions appear in bold and are followed by Castro-Mendoza's responses.\nExpand all | Collapse all\nWho are you? Tell us about yourself. Eustaquio “Stock” Castro-Mendoza is a first-generation immigrant, Navy Captain (Ret.), teacher and farmer. He holds multiple degrees (B.S., M.A., M.S., and Ph.D. (ABD)) in Biology and National Security. He is a veteran of numerous military campaigns. During three decades in uniform, Captain Castro-Mendoza commanded sailors, managed critical operations, and navigated complex national security challenges. He was also a military fellow at the Council on Foreign Relations. After retiring in 2013, he taught high school science for almost a decade. Stock is now a working farmer and cattle rancher. He is the proud father of four grown children aged 25-37. Stock Castro-Mendoza is a proud Hispanic American, who dedicated thirty years of his life to serving and protecting the nation he calls home. His story is not just a biography—it is a testament to the power of perseverance, patriotism, and the promise of the American Dream. Born into humble beginnings, Stock immigrated to the United States as a child, with his family, seeking a better future. As a young man, he understood that education, integrity, and hard work were the keys to building that future. He was commissioned in the US Navy after completing the rigorous training at Aviation Officer Candidate School, then through discipline, leadership, and excellence, rose through the ranks to retire with distinction as a Navy Captain (O-6). 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? I’m running on a promise—bring back the middle class and working people. I’ll fight to bring down the cost of living with fair pricing legislation, expand childcare training and facilities so working families can breathe, and make housing less of a corporate game by limiting big corporations buying up homes. And on healthcare, I’ll cap prices on lifesaving meds like insulin and protect you from coverage denials. I’ll also fully fund rural healthcare because rural hospitals are closing and people can’t wait. I’m a 30-year Navy veteran, a teacher, a farmer/rancher,\r\nbilingual Latino—and I’ll work night and day to earn your vote. I’m not a politician—I’ll show up and deliver. This campaign is about representation that actually represents. How many town halls has the current Congressman done? People feel ignored—and they’re right to. I’m running to show up, listen, and deliver. People deserve a representative who shows up. I’ll protect the Social Security, Medicare, and\r\nMedicaid you’ve earned—and oppose attempts to privatize Social Security. I’ll fight to restore veterans healthcare benefits. These benefits were earned with sweat and sacrifice and often paid by blood. These aren’t entitlements, they are earned! Our district deserves someone who’s present, accountable, and actually working for you. I defended the Constitution abroad, now I will defend your future here at home. I’ll fight for rural communities and family farms—like freezing interest rates on loans for small\r\nfamily-owned farms—and I’ll push sustainable farming support. I’ll also empower the SBA to actively support small businesses and break up monopolies that crush family-run competition. I will protect water resources from overuse and contamination, promote wind and solar energy, and protect the environment for future generations. I’m a Navy veteran, a teacher, and a farmer/rancher—and I’m running to be the steady,\r\naccountable voice this district deserves. What areas of public policy are you personally passionate about? I am passionate about making life affordable for working class Americans, lowering the cost of rents and housing, making purchasing a home affordable for our future generations, raising the minimum wage, providing healthcare for all, including reproductive and mental health, fully funding our schools and raising teacher salaries, ensuring no one is marginalized for being who they choose to be, protecting earned benefits for our seniors and veterans, promoting strong local economies in small towns and rural communities, promoting wind and solar energy, promoting a clean environment that does not endanger our precious water resources and wildlife, solving our homelessness problem, building a better future for all.\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."}]