Garcia Wins Texas’ Newly Redrawn 35th District
On November 4, Democrat Johnny Garcia won Texas’ newly redrawn 35th Congressional District, defeating Republican Carlos De La Cruz. De La Cruz called Garcia to concede, and Garcia thanked voters for their support. Garcia said he would focus on lowering costs, making health care more affordable and keeping the community safe.
The race tested a Republican redistricting strategy intended to make the seat more favorable to the GOP ahead of the 2026 midterms. The 2025 map changes reshaped the district, which had been a Democratic stronghold, and pushed its Democratic incumbent, Greg Casar, to run in the newly configured 37th District instead.
The new 35th covers parts of San Antonio, Bexar County and neighboring counties. De La Cruz, an Air Force veteran of two decades and the brother of Republican Rep. Monica De La Cruz, had President Donald Trump’s endorsement. Garcia, a former Bexar County sheriff’s deputy, campaigned as a moderate Democrat and emphasized household costs and working families.
The district’s Hispanic-majority electorate made the result a test of whether Republicans could maintain the gains Trump made with Hispanic voters in 2024. The outcome also raises questions about whether favorable presidential voting patterns engineered into a district can translate into a congressional win. The contest was among several Texas battlegrounds watched by both parties as they sought control of the House.
Garcia’s Win Delivers a Blow to GOP Redistricting Plan
On November 4, voters in Texas’ newly redrawn 35th Congressional District elected Democrat Johnny Garcia over Republican Carlos De La Cruz, despite a map Republicans redesigned to strengthen their chances of flipping the seat. The result puts a check on the idea that changing district lines to favor a party guarantees victory.
Republican lawmakers overhauled the district in 2025 at President Donald Trump’s urging. The new boundaries were projected to favor Trump by about 10 percentage points in the 2024 presidential election, while displacing Democratic Rep. Greg Casar, who chose to run in the new 37th District instead. Garcia’s win shows that those calculations did not settle the contest.
Garcia, a former Bexar County sheriff’s deputy, campaigned on household costs, working families and affordable health care. De La Cruz, an Air Force veteran of two decades endorsed by Trump, conceded after calling Garcia. The district includes parts of San Antonio and surrounding communities, and its Hispanic-majority electorate made the race a test of whether Republicans could hold onto Trump’s 2024 gains among Hispanic voters.
With control of the House at stake, the result offers Democrats a victory in a district Republicans had sought to make more competitive for their party. It underscores the limits of redistricting as a substitute for winning voters in a general election.
Garcia Defeats Trump-Backed Republican in Texas Battleground
On November 4, Democrat Johnny Garcia defeated Carlos De La Cruz in Texas’ newly configured 35th Congressional District, a race Republicans had targeted as part of a strategy to bolster their House prospects. De La Cruz had President Donald Trump’s endorsement, but Garcia prevailed in the contest.
Republican lawmakers reshaped the district in 2025, with the new boundaries expected to favor Trump by roughly 10 points based on the 2024 presidential vote. The changes also led Democratic Rep. Greg Casar to seek election in the new 37th District rather than defend his former seat. Garcia’s victory shows that a favorable map alone could not deliver this seat to Republicans.
De La Cruz, an Air Force veteran of two decades and sibling of Republican Rep. Monica De La Cruz, conceded after calling Garcia. Garcia, a former Bexar County sheriff’s deputy, presented himself as a moderate and emphasized working families and household costs. He said he would work to lower costs, improve health care affordability and keep the community safe.
The result in a Hispanic-majority district poses a challenge for Republicans seeking to sustain Trump’s 2024 gains with Hispanic voters in a midterm election. The district includes parts of San Antonio and surrounding counties, and the race was one of several Texas contests drawing attention as both parties compete for control of the House.
Reported by Townhall, Fox News.
