President Donald Trump will campaign on Wednesday at the Freeman Coliseum in San Antonio alongside Republican nominee Carlos De La Cruz, targeting a newly drawn South Texas congressional district that House Speaker Mike Johnson has labeled the “whole enchilada” for the 2026 midterm elections, according to the Republican National Committee.
Redrawn Maps and the Battle for the House Majority
The political landscape in Texas shifted dramatically after Trump urged the state to redraw its congressional districts to protect a razor-thin Republican House majority. Under the revised maps, five key South Texas districts—including the 35th Congressional District—saw voters swing significantly toward Trump during the 2024 election. Each of these redrawn districts would have supported Trump by margins ranging from 10 to 18 percentage points. Despite those historical margins, neither political party considers the seats safely red, especially as national generic ballot polling shows Democrats leading by roughly 8 points.
New York Times White House Correspondent Maggie Haberman noted the precarious nature of the strategy in recent commentary. Republicans may have inadvertently created a cluster of unpredictable swing districts depending on how election night unfolds. Haberman pointed out that while Trump is backed by savvy strategists who understand Texas politics, the centralized control he and his aides sought leaves no room to shift blame if the gamble backfires. “When you do that, you leave yourself absolutely no room to say this is somebody else’s fault,” Haberman explained.
Inside the Contest for Texas’ 35th Congressional District
The newly configured 35th Congressional District serves as the literal and strategic epicenter of this midterm showdown. Previously, the seat was held by progressive U.S. Rep. Greg Casar (D-Austin) and linked downtown San Antonio with Austin in a deep-blue formation. Republicans dismantled that configuration, crafting a district that begins in San Antonio and stretches eastward into the rural terrain of Karnes, Wilson, and Guadalupe counties—all areas that Trump carried in 2024.
With Casar having relocated to run in a district closer to his Austin home, the 35th District features an open ballot with no incumbent. Both parties are relying on political newcomers who lack high name recognition but enjoy substantial financial backing from national political action committees. Republicans tapped Carlos De La Cruz, brother of U.S. Rep. Monica De La Cruz (R-Edinburg), whom Trump supported during a difficult primary. Democrats countered by nominating Johnny Garcia, a longtime Bexar County Sheriff’s Deputy, following an expensive primary fight that sidelined a more progressive challenger.
Expanding the South Texas Electoral Battleground
Wednesday’s rally at the Freeman Coliseum places Trump in close proximity to another contentious contest in Texas’ 23rd Congressional District. In that race, Trump and other prominent Republicans are supporting Brandon Herrera, a social media star with a penchant for controversy, who is running to replace disgraced Republican Tony Gonzales. With millions of dollars flooding these regional races, the outcome in San Antonio and across South Texas will likely determine which party controls the U.S. House of Representatives when the next Congress convenes.
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