Castro becomes first 2020 Dem to urge embattled Puerto Rico governor to step down

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Protesters in Puerto Rico demand governor's resignation

Protests extend into the night; Jeff Paul reports from San Juan, Puerto Rico.

MANCHESTER, NH – Democratic presidential candidate Julián Castro is urging embattled Puerto Rico Gov. Ricardo Rosselló to step down in the wake of mass protests against Rosselló on the island.

Asked by Fox News after a campaign stop Friday in New Hampshire why he feels it’s time for Rosselló to go, Castro said: “It’s clear that Gov. Rosselló can no longer be effective.”

THE LATEST FROM FOX NEWS ON THE CRISIS IN PUERTO RICO

Castro, the only Latino running for the White House in 2020, added: “I stand with Puerto Ricans who are protesting in the streets his administration. We’ve seen comments that he and others in the administration have made. We’ve seen them using force against the people of Puerto Rico. This governor can no longer be effective and I believe he should resign.”

Rosselló’s been facing calls to step down after hundreds of leaked documents between the governor and other officials featured homophobic and sexist language.

Puerto Rico’s Center for Investigative Journalism published nearly 900 pages of private messages between Rossello and several other government officials. In one message Rossello calls one New York female politician of Puerto Rican descent a “w---e” and described another as a “daughter of a b---h.” One chat also makes vulgar references to Latin pop star Ricky Martin’s homosexuality.

Thousands of Puerto Ricans on Wednesday marched in San Juan demanding that Rossello resign.

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The former San Antonio, Texas mayor who later served as Housing and Urban Development secretary under President Barack Obama, becomes the first Democratic White House hopeful to call on Rosselló to step down.

Rossello said Sunday that he would not resign in wake of the scandal. Instead, he said he would look to God to guide him through “figurative or real” hurricanes.

MLB PLAYERS CALL ON PUERTO RICO GOVERNOR TO RESIGN

On Wednesday, some well-known Major League Baseball players with ties to the island also urged the governor to resign. They included the Los Angeles Dodgers’ Enrique Hernandez, the Saint Louis Cardinals’ Yadier Molina, the Houston Astros’ Carlos Correa, the Cleveland Indians Francisco Lindor, and Boston Red Sox manager Alex Cora. Professional basketball player J.J. Barea of the Dallas Mavericks also joined the chorus.

Fox News' Ryan Gaydos contributed to this report.