The right kind of Democrat can win in the new TX-35
It may take some work, but Democrats can pull off a win here if they nominate somebody from the district who is trusted, respected, and can balance a very thin tightrope.
Texas Republicans were confident earlier this year that their redistricting ploy would help blunt the blowback against Donald Trump and his party during the 2026 midterms by gerrymandering several Democrats out of their congressional seats. Now, many Democratic and Republican operatives are starting to believe that this strategy might backfire.
In order to turn these formerly Democratic-majority districts into Republican-majority districts, state lawmakers had to redraw boundaries and pull in Republican voters from other areas. This means that many Republican-majority districts are now less Republican than they were back in 2024.
Democrats see these new district demographics and now believe they might have a chance win some of these races, despite the boundaries being drawn specifically to harm their chances. Their growing confidence comes from the fact that Democrats have been overperforming in special elections across the country since the Trump regime came to power.
Meet the Democrats running
There are three Democratic candidates who have officially filed to run before the filing deadline:
Johnny Garcia
John Lira
Whitney Masterson-Moyes
Johnny Garcia was born and raised in San Antonio and is a graduate of St. Phillip’s College. His prior professional experience consists of working in the construction industry, as a hostage negotiator, and as a public information officer with the Bexar County Sheriff’s Office.
John Lira is a graduate of San Antonio College and a former member of the U.S. Marine Corps and the U.S. Marine Corps Reserve. Lira’s professional career also involves policy and advocacy work for a variety of political and governmental organizations.
Whitney Masterson-Moyes is a graduate of the University of Houston and University of St. Thomas as well as a small business owner.
What it’s going to take to win
The fact of the matter is this district was designed to give Republicans an edge, which means Democrats will need to fight an insurgent underdog campaign after the primary. The right candidate who can win in a district like this will need to energize Democratic voters, including young people and progressives, as well as convert independents and non-traditional voters.
The path to victory is going to be a narrow one, but it does exist. The problem with trying to appeal to so many different groups of voters is that taking positions on certain issues that energize the progressive base can often turn off independent voters who are more cautious about progressive priorities.
The solution here is going to be a delicate balance between the priorities of the base and the necessary outreach to independents. Whoever the Democratic nominee is in TX-35 should run on a core set of progressive populist economic issues that unite voters across the spectrum. Medicare for All, Social Security expansion, and Labor-focused messaging can excite the Democratic base while also not scaring away independent voters. Poll after poll shows Medicare for All and Social Security expansion have widespread support from Democrats, independents, and even Republicans, so running proudly on these issues should be a no-brainer.
Conventional wisdom is dead
If Democrats run the same old centrist campaign, they will lose. Period. The problem is that their appeals to independents often pull them away from the progressive populist issues that actually motivate their own voters. Yet conventional wisdom among Democratic operatives in Republican districts still insists that the path to victory is to soften positions on abortion, LGBTQ+ rights, and progressive economic policies. The problem with this strategy is simple: it fails to win over independents or Republicans and pushes away the Democratic base. It’s time for a new strategy, Democrats.