10 DECEMBER 2019 - DES MOINES, IOWA: JULIÁN CASTRO, right, former Secretary of Housing and Urban Development in the Obama Administration, and LAURA BELIN, left, publisher of the Bleeding Heartland, a blog about Iowa Democratic politics, talk about Castro's presidential campaign and Iowa's role as "First in the Nation" during a town hall meeting at Drake University in Des Moines. In recent weeks, Castro has been critical of the outsize role Iowa and New Hampshire play in the presidential selection process. His town hall tonight was to specifically discuss Iowa's role in the presidential selection process. Castro is visiting Iowa to support his bid to be the Democratic nominee for the US Presidency. Iowa traditionally hosts the the first selection event of the presidential election cycle. The Iowa Caucuses will be on Feb. 3, 2020. In recent weeks, Castro has been critical of the outsize role Iowa and New Hampshire plays in the presidential selection process. PHOTO BY JACK KURTZ