As the November elections near, Republicans are looking to Hispanic candidates to help reshape Texas’ congressional delegation.
There are five races in Texas featuring Hispanic Republican candidates seeking seats in Congress.
In Texas’ 28th Congressional District, Webb County Judge Tano Tijerina, a former Democrat turned Republican, will face Democratic Rep. Henry Cuellar.
In 2024, Cuellar and his wife, Imelda Cuellar, were indicted on federal charges of bribery, money laundering, and acting as unregistered foreign agents. President Donald Trump later issued a full and unconditional pardon before the case went to trial.
“We’re smart people, we’re going to stay more independent down here,” Tijerina told Politico.
Tijerina said Democrats “haven’t proved themselves,” and cited that as the reason he left the Democratic Party.
“That’s why I completely left [the Democratic Party], because enough is enough,” he said.
In Texas’ 23rd Congressional District, which stretches from the San Antonio area to to El Paso, Brandon Herrera, also known as “The AK Guy,” will go up against Democrat Katy Padilla Stout.
The seat was previously held by Republican Rep. Tony Gonzales. However, he resigned from his seat, allowing Herrera to secure the GOP nomination.
Republican candidate Eric Flores, a veteran and former federal prosecutor, will challenge Democratic Rep. Vicente Gonzalez in Texas 34th Congressional District, which stretches along the Gulf Coast to the U.S.-Mexico border.
Gonzalez has represented the district for five terms, but Flores accused him of failing to produce or pass “a single substantive piece of legislation for South Texas”
“I don’t know any job that you can have for 10 years and not be able to point to one substantive thing that you’ve done other than, well, I got this earmarked money, or I got these boys and girls grant. We appreciate that, but South Texas is deserving of much more than just that,” said Flores.
In Houston, Texas’ 9th Congressional District could potentially elect another Hispanic Republican.
Democratic Rep. Al Green currently holds the seat. However Green withdrew from the Democratic primary, allowing Democrat Leticia Gutierrez to secure the nomination.
Gutierrez will face Republican Alex Mealer, who is of Spanish descent. Mealer nearly defeated Democrat Harris County Judge Lina Hidalgo in 2022 but lost by about 18,000 votes.
In another Texas district, voters will again have the opportunity to elect a Hispanic Republican.
In Texas’ 35th Congressional District, which encompasses part of San Antonio and the Austin area, Republican Carlos De La Cruz will face Democrat Johnny Garcia.
The seat was previously held by Democratic Rep. Greg Casar, who first took office in 2023.
In a statement to The Texas Tribune, De La Cruz said Hispanic voters want representatives who demonstrate strength.
“There’s a myth in Washington that Hispanic voters want squishy politicians,” De La Cruz said. “Nothing could be further from the truth. Yes, we have the same practical concerns as every American — the price of gas, groceries, a paycheck that goes somewhere — but we also want strength and moral clarity.”
The national Hispanic press secretary for the National Republican Congressional Committee told The Texas Tribune that increasing numbers of Hispanic Republicans seeking office was inevitable.
“It’s always a goal to have candidates that are representative of their districts and fit the communities they want to represent,” said Martinez. “Based on what we’ve seen over the past decade, the trend rightward from the Hispanic community, it was only a matter of time before that transpired into the elected officials and people getting voted into office.”
