The Democratic nominee to exchange U.S. Rep. Tony Gonzales (R-San Antonio) is outraising her Republican counterpart — an indication the get together is rising optimistic about its probabilities in deep-red territory this election cycle.
In the meantime GOP leaders in D.C. are spending huge to spice up a congresswoman’s brother in a distinct San Antonio-area district that was created to assist their get together decide up seats.
Marketing campaign finance reviews had been due Thursday for federal candidates, providing the primary have a look at cash raised and spent because the March major.
Candidates for Congress and U.S. Senate sometimes report their fundraising on a quarterly foundation, however these reviews solely cowl Feb. 12 via March 31, since a few of this quarter was already coated in pre-primary reviews that had been due simply earlier than the election.
After Republicans’ mid-cycle redistricting effort final summer season, 43% of Bexar County residents now dwell in a distinct congressional district than they did in 2024.
Texas’ new congressional maps will be seen right here. Discover out which district you landed in by utilizing the Texas Tribune’s district finder.
Listed below are the highest takeaways from the most recent marketing campaign finance reviews.
Padilla Stout outraises Herrera by 4 occasions in TX23 race
Political watchers throughout the nation are immediately tuned in to Texas’ twenty third Congressional District, the place allegations of sexual misconduct prompted then-incumbent U.S. Rep. Tony Gonzales (R-San Antonio) to drop his reelection bid days after the March major.
The huge San Antonio-to-El Paso district remains to be thought-about fairly crimson.
However within the midst of Gonzales’ fall from grace, Democrats’ nominee to exchange him, baby welfare legal professional Katy Padilla Stout, mentioned she’s seen renewed curiosity from donors who had given up on a district that voted overwhelmingly for Republicans in recent times.
Marketing campaign finance reviews protecting Feb. 12 via March 31 point out Padilla Stout introduced in roughly 4 occasions as a lot cash as her Republican opponent, YouTube creator Brandon Herrera, who maintains a wholesome benefit in cash-on-hand.
Padilla Stout raised roughly $190,000 to Herrera’s $50,000 in the identical six-week span.
However Herrera reported about $300,000 within the financial institution as of March 31, to Padilla Stout’s $150,000.
It’s unclear whether or not the candidates must spend a few of that cash on a particular election earlier than November, now that Gonzales has resigned from workplace.
Republicans at present maintain only a two-seat majority within the U.S. Home, and a few within the get together consider Gov. Greg Abbott ought to name a particular election to offer them one other vote.
However Democrats have been successful particular elections in powerful territory since Trump’s return to workplace, and would nearly actually make a play for this one as nicely.
A particular election may embrace further candidates who signal as much as run in a jungle primary-style race, however Padilla Stout and Herrera are locked in as their get together’s nominees for November.
Out-of-state donors: Each Padilla Stout and Herrera took in lots of contributions from exterior of Texas.
Padilla Stout is getting assist from teams that bundle on behalf of Democratic candidates nationwide, together with Emily’s Record and Daring PAC, whereas Herrera has benefitted from a nationwide profile as a gun influencer.
Curiously, Don Henley, lead singer of the Eagles, minimize Padilla Stout a $1,000 examine.
Nationwide Republicans have rallied round Herrera as their nominee, together with endorsements from Trump and Home Speaker Mike Johnson (R-Louisiana).
However his report doesn’t present the identical private contributions from Home GOP leaders as one other San Antonio-area candidate, Carlos De La Cruz.
Herrera has proven some skill to self-fund, loaning his marketing campaign $420,000 forward of a tricky GOP major the place he completed first. His most up-to-date report signifies the marketing campaign is carrying about $570,000 in debt.
Nationwide GOP leaders increase congresswoman’s brother in TX35
Texas’ thirty fifth Congressional District was redrawn to offer Republicans one other pickup alternative this cycle, and the most recent marketing campaign finance reviews point out GOP leaders in D.C. need the brand new San Antonio-area seat to go to Carlos De La Cruz, the brother of U.S. Rep. Monica De La Cruz (R-Edinburg).
Carlos De La Cruz is a retired Air Pressure veteran whose marketing campaign wasn’t notably energetic earlier than get together leaders swooped within the day earlier than early voting.
Their endorsements got here as a shock to some Texas GOP leaders who noticed the district as a pure match for a distinct Republican, fashionable state Rep. John Lujan (R-San Antonio), who completed first within the March major, however now trails De La Cruz is fundraising headed into the Could 26 runoff.
De La Cruz reported about $220,000 raised between Feb. 12 and March 31 — greater than another congressional candidate working to signify the Bexar County space — and reported about $140,000 available.
That’s in comparison with Lujan’s $150,000 raised in the identical span and $115,000 available.
“We had been the highest fundraiser this quarter and have almost twice the money available heading into the election as a result of Texans are prepared for an actual conservative fighter, not one other profession politician who talks proper and governs left,” De La Cruz mentioned in a press release.
De La Cruz’s report is chock stuffed with checks from GOP leaders in Washington: U.S. Home Speaker Mike Johnson (R-Louisiana), Majority Whip Tom Emmer (R-Minnesota), and management PACs aligned with U.S. Rep. Jason Smith (R-Missouri) and Monica De La Cruz — who faces her personal powerful race this yr.
A couple of third of De La Cruz’s haul got here from conservative PACs, whereas a bunch aligned with AI business leaders additionally spent for him within the major.
In the meantime Lujan’s report famous contributions from extra native political influencers, together with businesswoman Hope Andrade, and he’s racked up endorsements from state lawmakers and different native elected officers.
“He’s obtained me on the federal facet due to his sister,” Lujan mentioned of his opponent. “But when it was right down to native, on-the-ground stuff, we might win simply.”
Democrats path in fundraising for powerful TX35 race
Democrats even have a runoff on this race, however neither candidate is bringing in the kind of cash De La Cruz and Lujan raised.
Redistricting pushed the district’s progressive incumbent U.S. Rep. Greg Casar (D-Austin) into a distinct district, however get together leaders nonetheless plan to compete for the seat if they’ll get their favored candidate via the first.
Nationwide Democrats are hanging their hopes on longtime Bexar County Sheriff’s Deputy Johnny Garcia, who introduced in about $90,000 between Feb. 12 and March 31, in comparison with simply $5,000 raised by housing activist Maureen Galindo, who shocked political watchers by ending first within the major.
Garcia says his haul is proof he’s the one one who can assemble the intense marketing campaign wanted to win in November. However he’s additionally confronted some questions from fellow Democrats about assist acquired from a pro-Israel PAC and a bunch aligned with congressional moderates.
“I can’t management who decides to place their assist in me,” Garcia advised the North East Bexar County Democrats (NEBCD) at a discussion board on Saturday. “However from the get-go — since we launched in October — there’s been just one candidate on this race that has come out because the front-runner, and has garnered the assist that we haven’t had right here in Texas.”
Galindo, in the meantime, believes she will proceed to choose up votes with extra grassroots-style marketing campaign techniques.
“I’m not taking cash from Israel … or from the Blue Canine Democrats, who’re continually voting with the Republicans, for battle with Iran, for ICE,” Galindo mentioned on the NEBCD discussion board. “I’m not compromised. And I’m going to combat in opposition to all of these issues which can be taking away our rights in Texas.”
Quieter races in TX20 and TX21
Marketing campaign spending in two different San Antonio-area districts has been comparatively quiet in latest weeks.
Texas’ twentieth Congressional District, represented by U.S. Rep. Joaquin Castro (D-San Antonio), was made even bluer in redistricting and isn’t on both nationwide get together’s radar for November.
It gained quite a lot of new voters when it went from a primarily Westside district to 1 that covers most of downtown, and Republican Edgardo Baez hopes to court docket a few of these newcomers who haven’t voted for Castro up to now.
The political newcomer raised $1,500 between Feb. 12 and March 31 and reported about $5,400 available.
Castro didn’t have a report on the Federal Election Fee web site as of Thursday afternoon.
Texas’ twenty first Congressional featured a heated GOP major within the race to exchange U.S. Rep. Chip Roy (R-Dripping Springs), but additionally isn’t possible to attract huge spending this fall as a result of it’s drawn so overwhelmingly crimson.
Former Main League Baseball participant Mark Teixeira blew the crowded subject of GOP contenders out of the water in fundraising, and secured the nomination with no runoff.
Teixeira put $2.75 million of his personal cash into his marketing campaign, and obtained huge assist from exterior teams. That mortgage remains to be mirrored on his most up-to-date report, which means he may ultimately repay himself from different fundraising.
He introduced in $180,000 this spherical and reported about $260,000 available.
He faces Democrat Kristin Hook in November, who didn’t have a report listed as of Thursday afternoon. She’d raised about $100,000 for the race as of Feb. 11.
Large spending the Texas Senate race
In Texas’ U.S. Senate race, Democrat James Talarico‘s marketing campaign reported elevating $10 million because the major, and an astounding $27 million whole haul within the first quarter of 2026.
He didn’t fairly high Democrat Beto O’Rourke’s greatest quarter of his personal U.S. Senate race in 2018, however he’s raised much more cash a lot earlier within the race. He’s additionally outperforming Democrats’ U.S. Senate candidates in different high races throughout the nation, in response to CNN.
Talarico gained his major outright, whereas Republican U.S. Sen. John Cornyn (R-Texas) and his challenger Legal professional Basic Ken Paxton are nonetheless battling it out in an costly Could 26 major runoff.
Cornyn’s marketing campaign mentioned he raised $9 million throughout a number of supporting teams in Q1, together with $3.4 million within the weeks because the major, the place he completed first. He had $8 million available as of March 31.
Paxton reported that he’d raised $2.2 million in Q1 and had $2.6 million available between his marketing campaign and joint fundraising committee. His marketing campaign didn’t say how a lot of that cash had been raised after the March major.
Each Cornyn and Paxton even have tremendous PACs serving to them.
The professional-Cornyn group Texans for a Conservative Majority raised about $9.5 million within the first quarter, whereas the pro-Paxton Lone Star Liberty PAC raised about $2.1 million, in response to the Texas Tribune.
