Carlos De La Cruz

Carlos De La Cruz is the Republican nominee for Texas's 35th District, an open seat. He is a retired U.S. Air Force veteran who served 20 years and 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, and says he is running to support Trump's agenda, secure the border, and care for veterans.[1][2][3]

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][4] 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][4]

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][4] 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]

Researched from the cited sources on 2026-10-21.