Carlos De La Cruz

RU.S. Air Force veteran; small business owner

Won the Republican primary runoff against John Lujan

Carlos De La Cruz is a 20-year U.S. Air Force veteran who deployed to Afghanistan, Iraq, and the U.S.-Mexico border, and who co-founded a kickboxing gym in San Antonio with his wife after leaving the military.[4]

Basic profile — the most important sourced facts we found.

Positions on the issues

  • SupportsExpand immigration enforcement and deportations

    Supports continuing to secure the border and providing Border Patrol agents more resources.[4]

    “We need to continue securing our border and ensure our Border Patrol agents have the tools, manpower, and support they deserve.”
  • SupportsBroad tariffs on imported goods

    Supports trade measures aimed at stopping China from what he describes as unfair trade practices, as part of an "America First" platform.[4]

    “stopping communist China from ripping us off”

In their words — priorities

  • Supports continued efforts to secure the border and equip Border Patrol agents.[4]
  • Supports holding the Mexican government accountable for delivering water it owes to Texas agricultural communities.[4]
  • Says he will support President Trump's agenda in Congress, including on manufacturing and trade with China.[4]

Background

  • Served 20 years in the U.S. Air Force, deploying to Afghanistan, Iraq, and the border with Mexico.[4]
  • Co-founded a kickboxing gym in San Antonio with his wife, a VA nurse practitioner, after leaving the Air Force.[4]

Campaign money

Raised $1.0M · spent $776K · $272K cash on hand (through 2026-06-30) FEC filing ↗

Also on the ballot for this seat: Johnny Garcia · Compare side by side

Sources cited in this profile

  1. 4.Carlos De La Cruz · Ballotpedia (quoting De La Cruz's campaign website) Candidate's own words