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President Donald Trump’s endorsed House Republican candidate for Texas’ 35th Congressional District is projected to win his race against longtime San Antonio state lawmaker John Lujan.
Carlos de la Cruz, an Air Force veteran, is the brother of Trump ally Rep. Monica de la Cruz, R-Texas, in a nearby district.
The de la Cruzes could be the next in a rare historical line of siblings serving together in the House of Representatives.
One of America’s first congressional leaders served with his brother as well.
Inaugural House Speaker Frederick Muhlenberg of Pennsylvania served alongside Rep. John Peter Gabriel Muhlenberg of Pennsylvania in the 1780s and 1790s.
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The three Washburn brothers — Israel of Maine, Elihu of Illinois and Cadwallader of Wisconsin — all served together in the 1850s and 1860s, while more recently sisters Loretta and Linda Sanchez — both California Democrats — found themselves in the same chamber in the early part of this century.
De La Cruz and Lujan are competing for the newly redrawn district, which is currently represented numerically by “Squad” member Rep. Gregorio Casar of the Austin area.
Casar, however, chose to run in an adjacent district that encompasses part of his current district after that officeholder, fellow Democratic Rep. Lloyd Doggett, elected not to run for re-election contingent on Texas’ new map passing legal muster.
The new district stretches south to San Antonio and is considered much more Trump-friendly than in past elections.
Lujan originally won the March primary 33%-27% over De La Cruz, who finished second and advanced to Tuesday’s contest.
De La Cruz was deployed to the Middle East and Mexican border, and also has the endorsement of both his sister and House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La.
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Lujan is a longtime state lawmaker with deep familiarity in the district, while the real controversy is on the Democratic side of the ticket.
Democratic primary candidate Maureen Galindo, who lost Tuesday night, received nationwide backlash, including from her own party, for floating the idea of using an ICE detention center in her district to instead imprison wealthy “Zionists.”
The rhetoric and plans were called out as grossly antisemitic by Democrats ranging from Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez on the far left to House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, both Democrats from New York City.
Democrats are still reportedly bullish on their prospects in the more Trump-friendly seat, which is also majority Hispanic, come November.
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