Garcia Defeats De La Cruz in Redrawn Texas District 35

Johnny Garcia won the election for Texas' 35th Congressional District on Tuesday night. The victory gave Democrats a key pickup in a race that many Republicans considered essential for maintaining their House majority.

Garcia defeated Republican candidate Carlos De La Cruz. The new district boundaries were drawn by the Texas Republican Legislature to favor Trump and his party. In the 2024 election, the area supported Trump by more than 10 percentage points. This year, voters shifted strongly toward Garcia and other Democratic candidates.

Republicans had hoped to gain as many as five seats with the new maps. They instead faced defensive battles due to polling that showed Latino voters rejecting the White House's economic policies and immigration tactics. House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries added the race to his campaign schedule in the final stretch. He noted that the seat became a target for Democrats after the redistricting process.

The campaign saw heavy financial involvement. Garcia and De La Cruz each raised about $2 million. Outside groups and PACs spent more than $27 million during the primary and general election, according to Open Secrets. Speaker Mike Johnson campaigned repeatedly for De La Cruz. Trump visited San Antonio last month to support De La Cruz after boosting him in the GOP primary.

De La Cruz was relatively unknown in local political circles before the primary. His older sister, Monica De La Cruz, is a Democratic representative from Edinburg. She lost her own reelection race on Tuesday to Bobby Pulido, a Tejano singer and Democratic nominee. The siblings shared campaign consultants who kept De La Cruz out of the spotlight. They offered few public events and held only one debate against Garcia.

At his watch party at Retama Park, De La Cruz had a small crowd of supporters. He mingled for about an hour before going backstage to thank them. He later told press that the party was ending before final votes were counted. De La Cruz said he did not want his supporters to watch him cry. Garcia said De La Cruz called him several hours later to concede.

Garcia is a longtime Bexar County Sheriff's Deputy. He served as public information officer for Sheriff Javier Salazar. Salazar suggested Garcia run for Congress after the Democratic party lost court fights against the new maps. Salazar described the two as close friends who often played pranks on each other. Garcia defeated a progressive challenger in the primary and survived attack ads that tied him to liberal voices in his party.

Garcia campaigned on a message of law and order while emphasizing compassion. He spoke to a congregation at Cavalry Baptist Church about Leviticus 19:33. He said the verse reminds leaders that having authority does not give them the right to mistreat others. He also criticized the executive branch for assuming new powers. He told the crowd that nobody is above the law.

Garcia described the election as one of the most challenging experiences of his life. He mentioned AI-generated attack ads and a 2020 suspension from his job. He said the process humbled him and tested his faith. He noted that people in his community face struggles greater than his own. He urged Congress to reclaim authority over the executive branch.

The result appears poised to help Democrats flip control of the U.S. House. The victory in the 35th District marks a setback for the redistricting strategy. Republicans aimed to maximize gains with Hispanic voters. Instead, the vote reflected a shift back to Democrats in the new district.