Obama eyeing San Antonio mayor for HUD secretary

President Barack Obama plans to choose San Antonio Mayor Julian Castro as secretary of housing and urban development (HUD) as part of a cabinet reshuffle, a Democratic source told Reuters on Saturday. 

Castro, a rising Latino star in national Democratic politics, would take the place of current HUD Secretary Shaun Donovan, who would move to head the White House Office of Management and Budget, the source said. 

Both jobs need U.S. Senate confirmation. The budget director's job is being freed up by the departure of Sylvia Mathews Burwell, who appears headed for a relatively easy Senate confirmation as secretary of Health and Human Services. 

An official announcement did not appear imminent. The White House declined comment on the reshuffle. 

Castro, 39, mayor of the seventh-largest U.S. city, made his national debut in 2012 at the Democratic National Convention in Charlotte, North Carolina, where he was the first Latino to deliver a keynote address. His twin brother, Joaquin Castro, was elected to Congress in 2013. 

Julian Castro turned down an offer from Obama after the 2012 election to be nominated as transportation secretary. If confirmed, Castro would become the second Hispanic mayor from San Antonio to serve as HUD secretary. Henry Cisneros held that cabinet position under former President Bill Clinton.

Joining the Obama administration in a cabinet-level position could give Castro the kind of visibility that may help his chances of being picked as the Democrats' vice presidential candidate in 2016. Democrats are eager to press their advantage with Latino voters at a time when Republicans have stalled Obama's drive for comprehensive immigration reform. 

Donovan, 48, has been Obama's HUD secretary since Obama took office in 2009. 

Al Jazeera and Reuters