Divisive Democrat Maureen Galindo defeated in Texas 35th District primary

During Texas’ Democratic primary elections on Tuesday, Bexar County sheriff’s deputy Johnny Garcia defeated sex therapist and controversial 35th Congressional District candidate Maureen Galindo.

Texas 35th District Primary Results:

• Johnny Garcia: 63.8% (12,834 votes)
• Maureen Galindo: 36.2% (7,291 votes)

Garcia, a moderate who garnered support from the Blue Dog Coalition, will face Republican Carlos De La Cruz in the November general election. De La Cruz is an Air Force veteran endorsed by President Donald Trump and the favorite to represent the newly drawn 35th Congressional District. After the Texas legislature redrew the state’s congressional map to favor Republicans, the 35th district shifted from a Safe Democratic seat to a Likely Republican seat, according to Cook Political Report.

Congressional Progressive Caucus Chair Greg Casar (D-TX) currently represents the 35th, but he is seeking reelection in the 37th District this year to avoid losing his seat to the GOP gerrymander. But despite Galindo voicing support for many progressive policies — like abolishing Immigration’s and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and public health care for all — Casar endorsed Garcia in the primary instead. Democratic leaders, including House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-NY) and Texas Democratic Party Chair Kendall Scudder, condemned Galindo’s candidacy after her criticisms of the Israeli government were widely condemned as antisemitic and conspiratorial.

Galindo made an Instagram post on May 13 saying she would write legislation to turn an ICE detention center into a “prison for American Zionists and former ICE officers for human trafficking” if she were elected to Congress. She continued by saying her bill would make the facility a “castration processing center for pedophiles which will probably be most of the Zionists.” According to the Texas Tribune, Galindo has also alleged that Jewish people run Hollywood and worship the synagogue of Satan.

“Antisemitism and hateful rhetoric have no place in the Democratic Party or in our communities. Maureen Galindo’s comments do not reflect our values as Democrats or as Texans,” Scudder and four county party chairs wrote in a May 20 statement. “We believe in dignity, inclusion and respect for people of every faith and background, and we unequivocally reject language that promotes hate or discrimination. The Texas Democratic Party and its county parties remain committed to standing against antisemitism in all its forms.”

Jeffries also accused Republicans of propping up Galindo’s candidacy after the Lead Left PAC spent over $900,000 to boost Galindo’s campaign. Earlier this month, Punchbowl News reported that metadata from Lead Left’s website tied it to the GOP’s WinRed fundraising platform.

People of goodwill have forcefully rejected the antisemitic and anti-American candidate in the TX-35 run-off.

Republicans must immediately stop boosting her candidacy. pic.twitter.com/CUFhqvEdLQ

— Hakeem Jeffries (@hakeemjeffries) May 22, 2026

Shell PACs have been a constant trend this election cycle, particularly in Democratic primaries. Notably, the American Israeli Public Affairs Committee (AIPAC) used multiple shell PACs to conceal the flow of money to the organization’s preferred candidates before Illinois’ primary elections in March.