House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-LA) is barnstorming the country during the August recess, as the GOP seeks to protect a razor-thin six-seat advantage in the midterm elections. This week, Johnson’s tour brings him to Texas, with visits to four swing districts all impacted by last year’s GOP redistricting. All four are majority Hispanic and were won by President Trump in 2024, although they have since been altered as part of the new map. “What we see in these four Hispanic districts is an opportunity for President Trump to prove that his success with that voting bloc was not a one-off in 2024,” says Dr. Bo Kabala, political science professor at Tarleton State University. “If anything, it should be easier based on the redrawn districts.”
Johnson is visiting the 35th district in San Antonio, where Republican Carlos De La Cruz is facing Democrat Johnny Garcia. The Speaker will also campaign for Congresswoman Monica De La Cruz, who is facing a challenge from Democrat Bobby Pulido in the 15th district.. Johnson will then head to the 28th district in Laredo, where incumbent Democrat Henry Cuellar is facing GOP challenger Tano Tijerina. Finally, Johnson will campaign for Republican Eric Flores, who is challenging Democrat Congressman Vicente Gonzlalez in the 34th district in McAllen.
With such a small margin in the House, these four seats could tip the majority one way or the other. They will also test the effectiveness of the GOP’s midterm redistrictring, which was aimed at helping Republicans gain as much as five seats across the Lone Star State. “It would seem that a Republican would do better this year (because of the new maps), but this is 2026, it’s a midterm year, and there are all kinds of attacks being lodged against President Trump and Republicans,” says Kabala. “So Speaker Johnson is taking no chances, even with more favorable districts.”
Johnson and the GOP are trying to buck the historical trend which generally favors the party out of the White House in midterm elections. Johnson has told reporters boldly that Republicans will “win the midterms and grow the majority,” and that he’s not even considering the possibility of losing this fall.
Kabala believes if any Speaker can overcome the historical odds, it’s Johnson, who has proven a formidable fundraiser and campaigner for the GOP. “Mike Johnson has developed this tremendous reputation for being a fundraising machine in line with the president’s agenda,” says Kabala. “And in South Texas, he’s bringing a lot of fundraising juice and political savvy to the job.”