Democrat Johnny Garcia is projected to win Texas’ redrawn 35th Congressional District, defeating a Republican-backed map intended to flip the seat. Redistricting had moved Democratic Rep. Greg Casar into a different district.
Garcia, a Bexar County sheriff’s deputy, beat Republican Carlos De La Cruz, an Air Force veteran endorsed by President Donald Trump. De La Cruz called Garcia to concede, Garcia said in a post online. He thanked voters for their trust and said he would work to reduce costs, make health care more affordable and keep the community safe.
The race was a closely watched test of Texas Republicans’ mid-decade redistricting push, which aimed to strengthen the party’s position in the U.S. House before the 2026 midterms. At Trump’s urging, Republican lawmakers reshaped the district in 2025. Under the new boundaries, Trump would have carried it by about 10 percentage points in the 2024 presidential election.
The changes also left Casar with a choice: he ran in the newly configured 37th District rather than seek reelection in the 35th. The district includes parts of San Antonio and nearby communities in Bexar and neighboring counties.
De La Cruz, a 20-year Air Force veteran and former gym owner, had Trump’s endorsement. His sister, Republican Rep. Monica De La Cruz, represents Texas’ 15th District.
Garcia presented himself as a moderate Democrat focused on public safety, working families and the cost of living. Both candidates advanced through competitive May primary runoffs: De La Cruz defeated Republican state Rep. John Lujan, while Garcia beat Democrat Maureen Galindo.
Because the district has a Hispanic-majority electorate, the result also offers a measure of whether Republicans can hold onto gains Trump made with Hispanic voters in 2024, when he was on the ballot. The outcome may show whether favorable presidential voting patterns created by redistricting are enough to deliver congressional wins—or whether candidates and voters’ changing priorities can alter the picture.
With control of the House in play nationally, the contest was among several Texas races drawing attention from both parties.
