Democratic leaders are condemning Texas congressional candidate Maureen Galindo over her latest round of antisemitic comments.
Galindo, who finished first in the Democratic primary for Texas’ 35th Congressional District and is in a runoff election against Bexar County Sheriff’s Deputy Johnny Garcia. Democratic leaders in Washington and Texas have backed Garcia amidst a mysterious six-figure advertising campaign to boost Galindo, a sex therapist and housing advocate.
Last weekend, Galindo said in an Instagram post that she intends to write legislation to “turn Karnes ICE Detention Center into a prison for American Zionists and former ICE officers for human trafficking.”
“It will also be a castration processing center for pedophiles which will probably be most of the Zionists,” Galindo wrote on Instagram in a carousel accusing Garcia of being “paid by Zionist terrorism and trafficking.”
The proposal is the latest in a line of antisemitic comments Galindo has made, which include saying that Jews run Hollywood and worship the “synagogue of Satan.”
A flood of Democrats, from House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries to New York Rep. Alexandria Ocasio Cortez to Texas Democratic Senate nominee James Talarico, have condemned Galindo’s comments. And they’ve slammed Republicans for their seeming affiliation with the pop-up PAC spending hundreds of thousands on Galindo’s candidacy.
“This antisemitic rhetoric has no place in our politics,” Talarico said in a statement to the Jewish Telegraphic Agency, adding that he would not campaign with her if she were to win the runoff. “We need leadership in both parties willing to stand up and call out hate wherever it rears its ugly head.”
The runoff is highly consequential for both parties. Republicans in the Legislature redrew the San Antonio-area seat last summer to turn a district that Vice President Kamala Harris won by over 33 percentage points into one that would have backed President Donald Trump by a margin of about 10%.
Advertising dollars have poured into the seat, which includes parts of Bexar County and rural counties to the east, backing both candidates. All of the pro-Galindo spending has come from Lead Left PAC, a pop-up group that was formed in early May and has not yet had to disclose its donors.
Lead Left PAC appears to be tied to the GOP; Punchbowl News reported that the metadata on its website initially linked to WinRed, a major Republican donation platform. Lead Left PAC has not responded to questions about its donors or what entities are behind it.
The PAC has spent nearly $600,000 on broadcast and cable, and additional funds on mailers boosting Galindo and bashing Garcia.
Madison Andrus, a Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee spokesperson, called seeming GOP interference on Galindo’s behalf “extremely dangerous.”
“No matter what your politics are, using virulent antisemitism for your own partisan gain is nothing short of disgusting,” Andrus said.
In a joint statement, Jeffries and DCCC Chair Suzan DelBene pointed the finger at GOP leadership.
“House Republican leadership must immediately cease propping up this antisemitic candidacy, pull spending in the race and forcefully condemn these comments,” the pair said. “This vile language by her is disqualifying and has no place in America politics, and certainly not in the Democratic Party. To embrace and uplift a fringe candidate with antisemitic — and extremely dangerous — rhetoric and views in order to win an election is beyond the pale.”
The National Republican Congressional Committee, meanwhile, did not address the allegation that the GOP was meddling in a Democratic primary in its own statement.
“Hakeem Jeffries’ pathetic handpicked candidates were already staggering through the cycle with embarrassing fundraising numbers, zero grassroots energy and no real support from Texans,” NRCC spokesperson Christian Martinez said. “Now Democrats Johnny Garcia and Maureen Galindo are tearing each other apart in a full-blown primary civil war, turning their own races into a circular firing squad while Republicans stay focused on the issues Texans care about and build the coalition that’s going to win in November.”
Republicans have a runoff of their own in the 35th Congressional District between state Rep. John Lujan and veteran Carlos De La Cruz.
On X, De La Cruz condemned Galindo’s comments as well.
“I wore the uniform to defend every American, no matter their faith,” he said. “This rhetoric is disgusting and has no place in Texas.”
In recent weeks, Garcia has been endorsed by national and Texas Democrats alike, including former Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg, Congressional Progressive Caucus Chair Greg Casar — whose district was dismantled to create the one Garcia is running for — and Rep. Lizzie Fletcher, the chair of the Texas Democratic Delegation.
Garcia has responded to the pro-Galindo spending with an ad of his own, calling Galindo “MAGA’s favorite” and saying Republicans were propping her up because Galindo’s “conspiracy theories and hateful words make her the easiest Dem to beat.”
In addition, the Blue Dog Action PAC, which backs centrist Democrats and has endorsed Garcia, and Project 218, a Democratic Party-aligned super PAC, have spent nearly $600,000 on their own ads supporting Garcia.
In a statement to the Texas Tribune over text, Galindo stood by her proposal, insteading condemning the media for “miswording my proposal to sound anti-Jew.”
“All politicians who have taken Israeli money should be tried for treason for aiding a foreign national with materials to harm Americans,” Galindo said.
When asked what she made of Democratic leaders condemning her, Galindo said she doesn’t care “what any Zionist-owned politician thinks. They’re exposing themselves as Zionists which will backfire on them.”