UMVA has learned that the Trump‑backed Republican hopeful in Texas’ newly carved 35th Congressional District is poised to defeat longtime San Antonio state legislator John Lujan.
Air Force veteran Carlos de la Cruz, brother of Rep. Monica de la Cruz, is riding a wave of presidential endorsement and the support of House Speaker Mike Johnson as he seeks the seat.
If the victory materializes, the de la Cruz siblings could join a rare lineage of brother‑and‑sister duos who have served together in the House, echoing historic pairings from the nation’s founding era to modern times.
The freshly drawn district stretches from Austin’s “Squad” representative Gregorio Casar’s former territory down to San Antonio, reshaping the political map into a decidedly Trump‑friendly arena.
In the March primary, Lujan edged out de la Cruz by a slim margin, but the runoff on Tuesday gave the veteran a decisive boost, thanks to his military service on the Middle East front and the Rio Grande border.
Lujan, a seasoned lawmaker with deep roots in the community, now faces a fierce battle against a candidate bolstered by national attention and a powerful party hierarchy.
Meanwhile, the Democratic side remains mired in controversy after candidate Maureen Galindo sparked a firestorm by suggesting an ICE detention center could be repurposed to imprison wealthy “Zionists,” a proposal condemned as antisemitic by leaders across the spectrum.
Despite the turmoil, Democrats remain hopeful that the district’s majority‑Hispanic electorate could still swing the race, keeping the seat competitive even as the political winds tilt toward the GOP.
