Democrat Johnny Garcia Wins Texas House Primary After Rival’s Antisemitic Remarks Spark National Outcry
Democrat Johnny Garcia won the Democratic primary in Texas’ 35th Congressional District, according to NBC News projections, advancing to the general election in a newly redrawn seat that Republicans designed to favor their party. Garcia defeated Maureen Galindo, a controversial rival whose remarks drew sharp criticism from national Democratic leaders. The district runs from Austin to San Antonio and was created after Republicans combined two Democratic-held seats into one while drawing a new district intended to lean Republican. Donald Trump carried the district by about 10.5 points in 2024, but recent elections suggest it could still be competitive.
Galindo’s campaign became the focus of intense attention after an opaque outside group spent about $1 million boosting her in the runoff. One television ad from the group framed her as a fresh alternative to “weak Democrats” and emphasized her hardline stance on immigration, including calls to eliminate U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement. In a recent Instagram post, she also used inflammatory language about turning an ICE detention center into a prison for “American Zionists and former ICE officers,” prompting House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries and other Democratic leaders to denounce her comments as antisemitic and dangerous. Democrats accused Republicans of being behind the effort to elevate Galindo as a way to weaken Garcia before the general election.
Garcia will face Air Force veteran Carlos De La Cruz in the fall after De La Cruz won the Republican runoff. De La Cruz is the brother of Rep. Monica De La Cruz, who represents a nearby district. Republican strategists have said the district’s competitiveness may reveal the risks of assuming Trump’s support among Hispanic voters would automatically translate to other Republican candidates. The district’s voting-age population is about 52% Hispanic, and recent elections have shown it can be closely contested: Trump won there by about 2 points in 2020, and in 2018 Beto O’Rourke and Ted Cruz nearly tied in the same territory.
Political spending reflected expectations that the race could become costly and competitive. A Blue Dog Democrats–aligned committee spent about $700,000 to support Garcia, while Project 2018 spent a similar amount and the Democratic Majority for Israel contributed about $100,000. Galindo’s appearance in the runoff surprised many observers, as she led the March 3 Democratic primary with 29% despite raising less than $10,000. Because neither Garcia nor Galindo exceeded 50%, Texas law forced a runoff.
Republicans say the new congressional map could help them gain five additional seats in Texas. While two new districts in the Houston and Fort Worth areas are seen as strongly Republican, the two other new districts along the Rio Grande Valley are more competitive and could produce hard-fought races in the fall. The article also noted that both parties have a history of trying to shape the opposition’s primaries by helping candidates they believe would be easier to beat in the general election.
