Last year’s redistricting upended the makeup of Texas’ 35th Congressional District, prompting the Democratic incumbent, Rep. Greg Casar, to run for a different seat. The open race for the new TX-35 spurred competitive primaries on both sides, with two Democrats and two Republicans advancing to runoffs in their respective races after no one received 50% of the vote in either March primary.
On the Republican side, state Rep. John Lujan is hoping to overcome President Donald Trump’s endorsement of his opponent, Carlos De La Cruz, by winning over voters in the subset of the district he already represents in the Texas House. For Democrats, Bexar County sheriff’s deputy Johnny Garcia is pitching himself as an “old-school, common-sense, law-and-order Democrat,” which he said is needed to win against a Republican. He’s up against housing reform activist Maureen Galindo, who finished ahead of Garcia in March despite a meager fundraising haul of under $10,000.
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The seat’s new boundaries take in less than 10% of its current constituency. The new 35th covers parts of San Antonio and Guadalupe, Wilson and Karnes counties to the east. If the updated lines had existed in 2024, Trump would have won the seat by about 10 points.
But the GOP-led redraw also created a Hispanic-majority district, and Democrats have set their sights on maintaining control of the seat by capitalizing on what polls have shown to be a leftward shift of Hispanic voters since Trump took office.
- Population race/ethnicity: 57% Hispanic, 31% white, 9% Black, 3% Asian
- 2024 presidential results in district: Trump + 10 (Trump 54.6%, Harris 44.2%)
- Counties in district: Bexar, Guadalupe, Karnes, Wilson
- Cities in district: San Antonio, Cibolo, Converse, New Braunfels, Schertz, Seguin, Universal City, among others
Carlos De La Cruz
Republican
💰 Campaign finance:
- Total raised: $513,000
- Total spent: $375,000
- Cash on hand: $138,000
💰 Notable donors and outside spending support this cycle:
- Defending Our Values PAC , a super PAC focused on AI safety and regulation: $480,000
- Strong PAC, a super PAC funded by Club for Growth Action : $243,000
- Billionaire Paul Singer
- Real estate developer and businessman and chair of U.S. Chamber of Commerce Board of Directors Ross Perot Jr.
- Hispanic Leadership Trust PAC
Experience:
- Served 20 years in the Air Force and was deployed to Iraq, Afghanistan and the U.S. southern border
- Opened a kickboxing gym with his wife in San Antonio in 2018
Endorsements:
- President Donald Trump
- House Speaker Mike Johnson
- U.S. Rep. Monica De La Cruz, R-Edinburg; Carlos De La Cruz’s sister
Policy stances:
- Strengthen border security by funding immigration enforcement and increasing border infrastructure, technology and personnel
- Improve healthcare access by supporting policies that encourage transparency for insurance companies, expand options for small businesses and train medical professionals in underserved communities
- Support domestic artificial intelligence innovation through strategic export controls and cut regulations for cryptocurrency technology
- Make energy more affordable for consumers by rolling back clean energy regulations
In the news:
How to contact or learn more:info@carlosforcongress.com Carlos De La Cruz for CongressAttn: Legal CounselP.O. Box 2072Universal City, TX 78148Link to campaign site
John Lujan
Republican
💰 Campaign finance:
- Total raised: $528,000
- Total spent: $448,000
- Cash on hand: $79,000
💰 Notable donors and outside spending support this cycle:
- GOPAC Election Fund , a longtime national Republican PAC: $110,000
- Charter Schools Action PAC : $24,000
- Wallace Jefferson, former Texas Supreme Court chief justice
- Former Texas Secretary of State and San Antonio mayoral candidate Rolando Pablos
- International Association of Firefighters — $5,000
Experience:
- State representative since 2021, when he flipped a Democratic-held seat
- Served for 25 years as a firefighter in the San Antonio Fire Department and was previously a deputy in the Bexar County Sheriff’s Department
- Briefly held state House seat from 2016 through early 2017
Endorsements:
- U.S. Rep. Jake Ellzey, R-Waxahachie
- Deputy Sheriff’s Organization of Bexar County
- Hispanic Republicans of Texas
- San Antonio Express-News
Policy stances:
- Opposes the Dignity Act, a bipartisan immigration reform bill that would invest $10 billion in border security and offer legal status to some undocumented immigrants who arrived before 2021, because he argues it allows for amnesty on a large scale
- Provide youth support through improvements for child welfare, education and reform for the juvenile justice system, including providing pathways for at-risk youth
- Reduce government waste and support small businesses to strengthen economic development, and continue advocating for property tax cuts
In the news:
How to contact or learn more:john@votelujan.com20003 FM 1937San Antonio, TX 78221Link to campaign site
Maureen Galindo
Democrat
💰 Campaign finance:
- Total raised: $9,000
- Total spent: $11,000
- Cash on hand: $2,000
💰 Notable donors and outside spending support this cycle:
- Ricardo Villarreal, Democrat who lost to Rep. Henry Cuellar in the primary
Experience:
- Housing justice activist who helped create a rental assistance program during the COVID-19 pandemic
- Ran unsuccessfully for San Antonio City Council in 2025
Endorsements:
- John Lira and Whitney Masterson-Moyes, Galindo’s Democratic opponents in the primary
- Citizens Against AIPAC Corruption
- Bexar County Tejano Democrats
- Citizens’ Impeachment
Policy stances:
- Fully fund veterans’ disability benefits and provide access to healthcare and housing for life by taxing the arms industry
- End for-profit detention centers and dismantle Immigration and Customs Enforcement, and end U.S. economic and political influence in Central and South America
- Place a moratorium on data center development in Texas and invest in clean energy
- Guarantee abortion access, end for-profit reproductive care and focus on abortion prevention through education and social support
In the news:
How to contact or learn more:maureengalindo@maureenforUScongress.com Link to campaign site
Johnny Garcia
Democrat
💰 Campaign finance:
- Total raised: $247,000
- Total spent: $205,000
- Cash on hand: $42,000
💰 Notable donors and outside spending support this cycle:
- BDA PAC, the political action committee of centrist Democratic caucus Blue Dog Coalition : $300,000
- Former Bexar County Judge and San Antonio Mayor Nelson Wolff
- Former San Antonio City Council member and mayoral candidate Manny Pelaez
Experience:
- Bexar County Sheriff’s Office public information officer
- Served on patrol and the SWAT Crisis Negotiation Team
- Led the Inmate Worker Program, a second-chance initiative for rehabilitation, as a corrections officer
Endorsements:
- TX-15 Democratic nominee Bobby Pulido
- San Antonio Express-News
- TX-33 Rep. Marc Veasey, D-Fort Worth
- Democratic Majority for Israel PAC
Policy stances:
- Increase federal grant funding for local law enforcement, including more resources for drug treatment and mental health
- End Trump’s tariffs, which he says are threatening manufacturing jobs in the San Antonio area and driving higher everyday costs
- Create pathways to higher paying jobs through apprenticeship programs and workforce development training
- Prevent members of Congress from trading stocks
In the news:
How to contact or learn more:
info@votejohnnygarcia.comPO BOX 14117San Antonio, Texas, 78214Link to campaign site