Redistricting by Texas Republicans last year shifted the open TX-35 seat toward the GOP by adding rural counties east of San Antonio, creating a district that favored Trump by roughly 10 points in 2024. Both nominees emerged from competitive May runoffs: Democrat Johnny Garcia, a Bexar County sheriff’s deputy, and Republican Carlos De La Cruz, an Air Force veteran and brother of Rep. Monica De La Cruz, who secured Trump’s endorsement. Trader consensus currently prices Garcia slightly ahead amid reports of shifting Hispanic voter preferences and broader national dynamics, though expert ratings classify the race as Lean Republican. Recent developments include a Trump rally in San Antonio boosting De La Cruz and a late-September poll showing the candidates statistically tied, highlighting the district’s sensitivity to turnout among working-class and Latino voters along the I-35 corridor.