Julian Castro easily confirmed for HUD job today

President Obama, left, shakes hands with San Antonio Mayor Julian Castro, right, after announcing the nomination of Castro to lead the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD), replacing current Secretary Shaun Donovan, in the State Dinning Room of the White House in Washington, Friday, May 23, 2014. (AP Photo/Pablo Martinez Monsivais)

This post has been updated.

Julian Castro, President Obama’s pick to lead the Housing and Urban Development Department, sailed through his Senate confirmation  Wednesday with a bipartisan vote of 71-26.

His twin brother Rep. Joaquin Castro (D-Texas) and other members of the Texas congressional delegation watched the vote from the gallery.

“I’m proud of Julian and excited for our country,” Rep. Castro said in a statement after the vote.

Castro, the Latino mayor of San Antonio, had met with Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.) in his DC office on Monday to discuss the housing market in Nevada, and on Tuesday Reid announced the Senate would vote to confirm him the next day.

It was not expected to be contentious. And it wasn’t.

Several Republicans offered Castro their blessing from the start, and his home state U.S. senator, John Cornyn, a Republican, gave him a warm introduction at his nomination hearing, saying Castro is an “example that the American dream is still very much alive.” Cornyn voted yes, while fellow Texas Sen. Ted Cruz, a Republican, voted no.

Castro cleared a committee vote last month 16-6, with support from 12 Democrats and four Republicans.

Castro is buzzed about as a potential 2016 vice president pick, and some see his appointment as a way for him to get acclimated to Washington and raise his national profile. The 39-year-old Castro was first introduced to a national audience when he gave the keynote speech at the 2012 Democratic National Convention.