Clinton's only choice for running mate is Julián Castro, Henry Cisneros says

(AP)

Henry Cisneros, a Democratic party insider who served as Secretary of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) under former President Bill Clinton, said late last week that as of right now, Hillary Clinton’s only choice for a vice presidential running mate is the man who holds his former position, Julián Castro.

Speaking to Spanish-language media, Cisneros said that Clinton campaign staff told him that Castro, the current HUD secretary, is "the first person on their list."

"What I am hearing in Washington, including from people in Hillary Clinton's campaign, is that the first person on their lists is Julián Castro," Cisneros said, according to the San Antonio Express-News. "That they don't have a second option, because he is the superior candidate considering his record, personality, demeanor and Latin heritage. I think there is a very high possibility that Hillary Clinton may choose Julián Castro."

If Clinton, the Democratic front-runner in the 2016 presidential election, does choose Castro, he could be the first Latino vice presidential candidate in U.S. history.

For his part, Castro has downplayed the speculation of a vice presidential nod ever since he took the position as the head of HUD last July – saying instead that he is focused on his job in the Obama administration.

"I don't believe that I am going to be vice president," he said when questioned by ABC News last October. Castro added that he had no presidential aspirations in his future.

"I guarantee you that I am not going to run for president, probably ever."

As the presidential election season begins to enter full swing, the Clinton campaign has been dealing with continuing fallout from a scandal involving emails while she served as Secretary of State.

The State Department has proposed releasing portions of 55,000 pages of emails from Clinton by next January.

The department made the proposal in a federal court filing Monday night, in a Freedom of Information Act lawsuit by Vice News.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

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