Garcia Leads Early Vote in Redrawn Texas District

Democrat Johnny Garcia takes a strong early lead in the newly drawn 35th Congressional District, which Republicans redrew last year.

Updated on Nov. 4, 2026 in Elections

Bold flat-color editorial illustration of a simplified Texas outline with a navy ballot-box form, rendered in deep red and cream, evoking the redrawn congressional map. — Democrat Johnny Garcia took 66% of early votes in Texas's redrawn 35th Congressional District, as Republican Carlos De La Cruz won the March runoff. AI Illustration. Upload story photo >

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Democrat Johnny Garcia received 66% of the early vote in Texas's redrawn 35th Congressional District, according to partial returns from the Texas Secretary of State and the Bexar County Elections Department. Republican nominee Carlos De La Cruz won the March primary runoff with 58% against state Rep. John Lujan.

Why it matters

Texas GOP lawmakers redrew the district last year to help their party pick up U.S. House seats, making the race a test of the new boundaries in the midterm election. The district's Bexar County majority will weigh heavily on the outcome for Texas voters.

Partial early returns show Garcia at 66% in the 35th District, with figures from Guadalupe and Karnes counties still pending. Trump carried the redrawn district by 10 percentage points in 2024, and Bexar County makes up 69% of its population.

The players

Johnny Garcia

Democrat leading early voting in the redrawn 35th Congressional District of Texas.

Carlos De La Cruz

Republican nominee who won the March primary runoff and was endorsed by President Donald Trump.

Texas Secretary of State

State office that released partial early voting returns for the district.

The details

The 35th Congressional District is anchored on San Antonio's Southeast Side and extends into northeastern suburbs around Randolph Air Force Base, and includes all of Guadalupe, Karnes, and Wilson counties. Trump endorsed De La Cruz before the March Republican primary.

Last year: Texas GOP lawmakers redrew the 35th District.
March 2026: De La Cruz defeats Lujan in the Republican primary runoff.
November 4, 2026: Early voting returns are reported in the midterm election.

Political Context

The 35th District race is the first electoral test of the boundaries Texas Republicans drew in the 2025 mid-decade redistricting, which was designed to add U.S. House seats for the GOP. Democrats contesting the new lines argue they dilute the voting strength of Bexar County residents, a counter-argument that this early vote lead puts to the test.

Voters in the 35th District, especially in San Antonio and Bexar County, will see their congressional representative decided by this race. Residents of Guadalupe, Karnes, and Wilson counties will help determine the final result.

The takeaway

Because the new 35th District is majority Bexar County, its outcome will show whether the redrawn lines deliver the seat the GOP intended. Watch the final returns from the rural counties to see whether the early lead holds.