Julian Castro, San Antonio Mayor, To Be First Latino DNC Keynote Speaker

San Antonio Mayor Julian Castro will deliver the keynote address at the Democratic National Convention in Charlotte in September, it was announced Tuesday, making him the first Latino to receive the honor.

"As mayor, Julian Castro has worked tirelessly to move San Antonio forward by building its economy from the middle out, not the top down, by putting the city on a path to being a leader in the new energy economy and making innovative investments in education to prepare San Antonio's students for the jobs of the future," said Los Angeles Mayor and Democratic Convention Chair Antonio Villaraigosa in a statement. "That's the same vision forward for the middle class the President has, and it stands in stark contrast to Mitt Romney, who's ready to return us to the same policies that crashed our economy."

It was also announced Tuesday that First Lady Michelle Obama will speak at the convention's opening night, as she did in 2008.

In a video message, Castro, 37, called his role at the convention "an honor I don't take lightly." He recalled watching and being inspired by President Barack Obama's keynote speech at the 2004 convention. That speech catapulted Obama, at the time a state senator from Illinois, onto the national stage.

"We've come so far over the past three and a half years under Obama's leadership," Castro said in the video. "And I know he's not done yet. We've got a lot more work to do."

Castro's selection will likely energize Latino voters, who continue to prefer Obama over presumptive Republican nominee Mitt Romney.

On Monday, prominent speaking roles were announced for Massachusetts Senate candidate Elizabeth Warren and former President Bill Clinton.

CORRECTION: An earlier version of this article misquoted Julian Castro as saying "We got a lot more work to do." The quote has been corrected.