U.S. House · Texas's 35th District
Carlos De La Cruz
U.S. Air Force veteran; small business ownerR
- Race
- U.S. House · Texas's 35th District
- Result
- Johnny Garcia, projected winner
- Opponent
- Johnny Garcia (D)
- Research
- Basic
Party linenone
No recorded floor votes — not a current legislator in our records.
Said vs. did2 statements · 0 votes
I'll fight to keep biological men out of our daughters' sports.
Bar transgender women and girls from women's and girls' school sports
Compare statements with votes ›On the ballotU.S. House · 35
2026-11-03
| Johnny Garcia D | challenger |
| Carlos De La Cruz R | challenger |
Won the Republican primary runoff against John Lujan
Said vs. did
Each documented position next to the recorded floor votes we map to the same issue. Votes are compared one at a time; no overall stance is inferred from them.
I'll fight to keep biological men out of our daughters' sports.
Says he will fight to keep biological men out of girls' sports.[6]
No recorded floor vote in our key-vote set maps to this issue.
Biography
Carlos De La Cruz, a Republican U.S. Air Force veteran and small business owner, lost the November 3, 2026 election for Texas's 35th District, an open seat, to Johnny Garcia. A retired Air Force veteran who served 20 years, he later founded a kickboxing gym in San Antonio, and the San Antonio Report describes him as a political newcomer. He won the Republican primary runoff over state Rep. John Lujan with an endorsement from President Donald Trump.[1][2][3][4][5]
Basic profile — the most important sourced facts we found.
Carlos De La Cruz describes himself as a "proud Air Force veteran, small businessman, husband, father, and conservative Texan with deep San Antonio roots."[2] He served 20 years in the U.S. Air Force, deploying to Afghanistan, Iraq, and the U.S.-Mexico border.[1][5] After leaving the military, he and his wife founded a kickboxing gym in San Antonio, which he told the San Antonio Report he opened in 2018; his wife is a VA nurse practitioner, according to his campaign website.[1][2][5]
De La Cruz is the younger brother of U.S. Rep. Monica De La Cruz (R-Edinburg), according to Ballotpedia News and the San Antonio Report, which describes him as a political newcomer who had never run for office.[2][3][5] He placed second in the March 3, 2026 Republican primary with 27.1% of the vote, behind state Rep. John Lujan, and won the May 26, 2026 runoff. President Trump endorsed him and Gov. Greg Abbott endorsed Lujan.[2][3] During the campaign, he said he was running to support Trump's agenda, secure the border, and care for veterans.[1][2][3] He received 44.6% of the vote to Johnny Garcia's 55.4%, according to unofficial results reported by NBC News.[4]
In their own words
Priorities
- Supports continued efforts to secure the border and equip Border Patrol agents.[8]
- Supports holding the Mexican government accountable for delivering water it owes to Texas agricultural communities.[8]
- Says he will support President Trump's agenda in Congress, including on manufacturing and trade with China.[8]
Statements, quoted without a stance
- Expand immigration enforcement and deportations
“We need to continue securing our border and ensure our Border Patrol agents have the tools, manpower, and support they deserve.”[6]
On the Mission page of his campaign site
- Faster transition away from fossil fuels
“Texas powers America, and I will fight to unleash our state's energy potential.”[6]
On the Mission page of his campaign site
Campaign money$1.0M raised · 76% from individuals · FEC through 2026-06-30
Totals this cycle
Bars share one scale (raised = full). Cash on hand can include money carried over from earlier cycles.
Who gave
- Individuals $766K
- PACs & committees $195K
- Own money & loans $53K
Largest committee contributions
- Keep Texas Texas PAC PAC$15K
- American Revival PAC PAC$15K
- Hispanic Leadership Trust PAC$15K
- Seal PAC Supporting Electing American Leaders PAC PAC$10K
- Texas Values PAC PAC$10K
- Electing Majority Making Effective Republicans PAC PAC$10K
- Grassroots Organizing for Better Election Results PAC PAC$7,000
- Monica for Congress Candidate committee$6,000
- RVFPAC PAC$6,000
- Commercial Metals Company PAC (CMC PAC) PAC$6,000
Direct contributions only; outside spending is not included. Individual donors are itemized in the FEC’s receipts. All itemized receipts ↗ FEC filing ↗
Profile: /people/carlos-de-la-cruz
Compare all 2 candidates side by side ›
Sources cited in this profile
- 1.Carlos De La Cruz · Ballotpedia (quoting De La Cruz's campaign website) Candidate's own words
- 2.Carlos De La Cruz (R) defeated John Lujan (R) in the Republican primary runoff for Texas' 35th Congressional District on May 26, 2026 · Ballotpedia News · 2026-05-27 Reference
- 3.The San Antonio Report's 2026 Republican primary runoff voter guide · San Antonio Report News report
- 4.U.S. House · Texas's 35th District results 2026 · NBC News News report
- 5.Carlos De La Cruz Q&A: TX-35 runoff · San Antonio Report · 2026-10-19 News report
- 6.The Mission · Carlos for Congress campaign website · 2026-10-19 Candidate's own words
- 7.Carlos De La Cruz — campaign website statement (Defending Law Enforcement) · Ballotpedia (quoting De La Cruz's campaign website) Candidate's own words
- 8.Carlos De La Cruz · Ballotpedia (quoting De La Cruz's campaign website) Candidate's own words