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WASHINGTON — Carlos De La Cruz, the brother of U.S. Rep. Monica De La Cruz, announced Thursday he is running for Texas’ newly redrawn 35th Congressional District in the San Antonio area.
The 20-year Air Force veteran and businessman is running as a Republican and pledged in his campaign announcement to be President Donald Trump’s “wingman in Congress in the fight for America’s future.”
The 35th District, which is currently occupied by Democratic Rep. Greg Casar, is one of five blue seats that was overhauled to favor the GOP during the state Legislature’s mid-decade redistricting this summer. Under the new map, the district no longer includes any of Austin and is now concentrated in San Antonio and three heavily Republican counties east of the city.
Those three counties — Guadalupe, Karnes and Wilson — have been represented by Monica De La Cruz over her two terms representing the 15th Congressional District, giving her brother a potential edge in those areas.
Casar has announced he plans to run instead in the solidly blue 37th Congressional District, which is based in Austin. Several Republicans have voiced interest in running for the now open 35th District, and state Rep. John Lujan, R-San Antonio, has already announced his bid.
In a news release, Carlos De La Cruz referred to himself as a “conservative outsider” and said his top priority in Congress would be stopping the radicalization of America’s youth. He also said he wants to strengthen the economy for working families and improve public safety.
“I’m running for Congress because I’m not done fighting for my country. I’ve stared down terrorists and the cartel, so I know a threat when I see one,” De La Cruz said. “I’m ready to take that fight to Washington.”
During his 20 years in the Air Force, De La Cruz was deployed to Iraq, Afghanistan, and the U.S. southern border. After his retirement from the military, De La Cruz and his wife built a kickboxing gym in San Antonio that mentored local youth.
He’s already secured the endorsement of his sister, who he hopes to serve alongside in Congress.
“I know how hard Carlos has worked his entire life,” Monica De La Cruz, R-Edinburg, said in a statement. “He is a fighter, a devoted husband, a loving father, and the most patriotic man I know. I’m confident he will bring the kind of strong, conservative leadership Washington desperately needs.”
Josh Cortez, a former adviser to Monica De La Cruz, is also vying for the GOP nomination in the 35th District. And the GOP field could expand further before the Dec. 8 candidate filing deadline.
Bexar County Commissioner Grant Moody and San Antonio City Council Member Marc Whyte have both said they are exploring runs, as has Bexar County GOP Vice Chair Kyle Sinclair. Kristin Tips, a San Antonio funeral director who heads the Texas Funeral Service Commission, is also weighing a run.
Whoever captures the GOP nomination will be favored to win the November general election: The new 35th District would have voted for President Donald Trump by a 10-point margin had it existed in 2024.
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