The GOP-led legislature drew the district for state Rep.\u00a0John Lujan<\/a>\u00a0(R-San Antonio), 63, who\u00a0flipped a blue Texas House district<\/a>\u00a0that\u2019s entirely within TX35\u2019s boundaries. <\/p>\n But at the last minute, his dominance in an 11-way Republican primary was upended by President Donald Trump endorsing a different candidate, Carlos De La Cruz<\/a>, a retired U.S. Air Force veteran\u00a0whose sister is U.S. Rep. Monica De La Cruz (R-Edinburg). <\/p>\n \u201cWe\u2019ve had multiple conversations with the White House and D.C. leadership, [and] we laid out our case \u2026 [that] I was the one to be able to get us past a general election against whoever the Democrat is,\u201d De La Cruz said in an interview Tuesday. \u201cI don\u2019t like to say anything disparaging about my my potential opponents, but the bottom line is, they put us side by side, and they made the decision that they made.\u201d<\/p>\n Gathered with family at his campaign headquarters on Tuesday, Lujan said he still believes he\u2019s the better candidate.<\/p>\n \u201cI have a tough race. It\u2019s a new district,\u201d he told the Report. \u201cI\u2019m the first and only Republican to ever win this [state House] seat in the history of Texas. And then I won the reelection, which was even tougher. And then now this new district, so I\u2019m used to being in tough races.\u201d<\/p>\n An upset in the Democratic primary?<\/p>\n Democrats originally wrote off this district, which under new boundaries would have supported Trump by more than 10 percentage points in 2024.<\/p>\n One of their largest PACs published a report<\/a> saying it\u2019s out of reach for this election cycle, and efforts to recruit a high-profile candidate fell short.\u00a0<\/p>\n But House Democrats\u2019 campaign arm has since\u00a0named the race a top battleground<\/a>\u00a0for 2026, and national party leaders are excited about\u00a0longtime Bexar County Sheriff\u2019s Deputy Johnny Garcia<\/a>, who got to attend a recent Democratic National Committee fundraiser as a guest of DNC Chair Ken Martin.<\/p>\n With votes still coming in, however, Garcia appeared likely to head to a runoff in May.<\/p>\n With 117 of 318 precinct reporting, Maureen Galindo<\/a>, a family, marriage and sex therapist who ran unsuccessfully for a San Antonio City Council seat in 2025, was in first place with 28.63% of the vote. Garcia had 26.94%.<\/p>\n Despite raising little money, Galindo waged a spirited campaign after developers\u00a0planned to raze her apartment complex<\/a>\u00a0to build a Minor League Baseball stadium.<\/p>\n \u201cThis runoff is simple,\u201d she said in a statement Tuesday night. \u201cDo we send a Democrat to Congress who understands and responds to the needs of the people of District 35? Or one who was bought to puppet a corporate-owned America?\u201d<\/p>\n Leading up to Tuesday, a number of local Democratic groups had rallied behind Marine Corps veteran and former federal employee\u00a0John Lira<\/a>, who was taking 20.76% in a four-way race.<\/p>\n In an interview at his watch party at the Deco Ballroom, Lira credited Galindo for getting her message out in an overall low-information election.<\/p>\n \u201cShe\u2019s basically been a one-person show with a social media following, and seems to be surging,\u201d Lira said as the early results were coming in. \u201cWe\u2019ll see where the final dust settles. But she\u2019s over-performed so far. So that\u2019s significant.\u201d<\/p>\n Leaders at the Blue Dog Action PAC, which is helping Garcia, have already said they plan to keep spending to get him through the runoff.<\/p>\n A tough November race<\/p>\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/sanantonioreport.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/cd-35.png\")
John Lujan at a Republican Club of Bexar County meeting June 18, 2025 at Chester\u2019s Hamburgers Credit: Brenda Baz\u00e1n \/ San Antonio Report<\/p>\nBexar County Sheriff\u2019s Office public information officer Johnny Garcia announced his plans to run for the newly proposed Texas 35th Congressional District during a community event on the South Side on Thursday. Credit: Diego Medel \/ San Antonio Report<\/p>\nThen-City Council Maureen Galindo speaks at the District 1 Candidate Forum at Vogt Auction Gallery. Credit: Brenda Baz\u00e1n \/ San Antonio Report<\/p>\n