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Dem Wins Texas District Redrawn for Trump
· Confirmed
In Short: A Democrat won a Texas district redrawn to favor Republicans, challenging the effectiveness of the redistricting effort.
In a surprising turn of events, a Democrat won the newly redrawn Texas 35th Congressional District, which was reshaped to favor Republicans at President Donald Trump's urging. The district, which covers parts of San Antonio and surrounding communities, was intended to give Trump a 10-point advantage in the 2024 presidential election, according to Fox News.
The redrawn district, which includes a Hispanic-majority electorate, was meant to test whether Republicans could maintain Trump's 2024 gains among Hispanic voters in a midterm election without the president on the ballot. However, the Democratic victory underscores the challenges Republicans face in consolidating their gains among this demographic.
The incumbent Democrat, Casar, opted to run in the newly configured 37th Congressional District rather than defend his former seat. Meanwhile, Monica De La Cruz, who represents Texas' 15th Congressional District, was not directly involved in this race but is part of the broader political landscape.
The district's Republican candidate, Carlos De La Cruz, conceded the race, as reported by Fox News. This outcome is particularly noteworthy given that Donald Trump would have carried the newly redrawn majority-Latino district by 15 points in 2024, according to Rollcall.
The victory in the Texas 35th District is part of a broader trend where Democrats have flipped districts that voted for Trump by as much as 18 points in 2024, as noted by PBS. This shift highlights the volatility of the political landscape and the challenges Republicans face in maintaining their majority.
In a separate development, a Harris County grand jury indicted ICE agent Mario Alberto Morales on charges of aggravated assault with a deadly weapon for intentionally running over the legs of a fleeing immigrant man on October 10, as reported by the Harris County District Attorney's Office. District Attorney Sean Teare stated that Morales aggressively steered his vehicle into Parra-Hernandez, who has lived in Texas for over 30 years without legal documentation but does not have a criminal record and did not have an active deportation order at the time of the incident.
Republicans currently hold the minimum 218 seats needed to secure a House majority, while Democrats hold 214 seats, according to Mercurynews. The Democratic victory in the Texas 35th District is part of a larger effort to narrow this gap.
What this adds
The Democratic victory in the Texas 35th District challenges the effectiveness of Republican redistricting efforts and highlights the ongoing political shifts in traditionally conservative areas.
What's confirmed
- The Leading Independent News Source in Houston, Texas A Harris County grand jury indicted ICE agent Mario Alberto Morales on Friday for intentionally running over the legs of a fleeing immigrant man on October 10, District Attorney Sean Teare announced.
- “Morales aggressively steered his vehicle into Parra-Hernandez,” Teare said.
What's still developing
- Polling hours vary by state and, in some cases, by county or congressional district.
- Angela Paxton's Senate Bill 13 would require school districts to create community advisory committees to oversee disputes about library materials.
- California voters last year approved Proposition 50, redrawing House districts to favor Democrats and counter a similar move by Texas to favor Republicans.
- (Don’t worry: We won’t share or sell your information.) Note: Republicans redrew Congressional districts last year, in an effort to gain more seats.
- The case was filed on October 23, 2026, in Collin County district court.
- Democrats also captured more than two dozen House districts.
- The Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee has included them in its “Districts in play” program, which provides additional support to competitive candidates, though only the Kentucky and South Carolina races have so far merited slots on the “Red to Blue” initiative for top recruits. (On Tuesday, the DCCC announced it was rolling out an ad campaign in 35 districts, including Kentucky’s 6th.) Inside Elections with Nathan L.
- The district is typically considered a safe conservative district and Teixeira defeated Democrat Kristin Hook in a 54% to 45% split.
- Teixeira expressed gratitude to his supporters, stating, "Tonight’s victory belongs to the people of Texas’s 21st District. I’m not going to Washington for myself, but rather to be a strong, responsive voice for every family in this district," as reported by ESPN.