Two key Republican congressional races head to runoffs

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(The Center Square) – Two key Republican congressional races in Texas head to a May runoff election with opposing candidates receiving endorsements from President Donald Trump and Gov. Greg Abbott. 

In both races, Trump has endorsed candidates who’ve never been elected to any office and have no apparent conservative track record. By contrast, Abbott has endorsed state representatives who were first elected to the Texas House 10 years ago with years of voting records and legislative accomplishments.

In newly redrawn CD 9 in the Houston area, two Republican candidates are heading to a runoff after a nine-candidate primary. 

The district is currently represented by Democratic U.S. Rep. Al Green. After redistricting, Green ran for reelection in newly redistricted CD 18 and is heading to a runoff election. The new CD 9 is expected to flip Republican in November.

Republican Alexandra del Moral Mealer, who for this race shortened her name to Alex Mealer, received 35.8% of the vote. State Rep. Brisco Cain received 31.2% of the vote, according to unofficial results with 95% of the votes in as of Wednesday.

At the last minute and after early voting ended, Trump endorsed Mealer, a former Harris County judicial candidate. In 2022, she was among more than a dozen Republican judicial candidates who lost their election, alleging voter suppression. She eventually dropped her lawsuit. She is a West Point graduate, a combat veteran and former oil and gas finance executive. 

State Rep. Brisco Cain was first elected to office in 2016 and is considered to be one of the most conservative members of the Texas House. According to a Rice University nonpartisan study, he ranked first for multiple sessions as the most conservative Texas representative. Abbott backed him early on pointing to his decade-long voting track record.

A practicing attorney, Cain has defended religious liberty of pastors against unlawful subpoenas of their sermons and police officers to ensure their ability to pray and read scripture while on duty. He also cosponsored and helped pass bills that became law ensuring Right to Farm protections, election integrity, banning sanctuary cities, funding Abbott’s Operation Lone Star, Texas’ border wall construction, property tax reform, Texas’ heartbeat law and abortion related bans, school choice, parental rights, teacher rights and increased pay among other measures. He also supported multiple bills to protect the Texas oil and natural gas industry, including in his district where refineries are based. In the last legislative session, he authored or joint authored 151 bills.

Whoever wins the runoff will face Democrat Leticia Gutierrez, a community outreach director, who won her multi-candidate primary race.

In newly redrawn CD 35, which includes the San Antonio area, Trump endorsed Republican Carlos De La Cruz, the brother of U.S. Rep. Monica De La Cruz. Abbott has endorsed state Rep. John Lujan. 

The district is currently represented by U.S. Rep. Greg Casar, but after redistricting he ran for CD 37 and won that election. The new CD 35 is also expected to flip Republican. 

De La Cruz has never been elected to office. An Air Force veteran and small business owner, De La Cruz claims he “took on the cartels at the southern border,” without stating how. He also claims he’s qualified to run for office “because he has never been a career politician.”

State Rep. John Lujan was first elected to the Texas House in 2016. The founder of a successful IT firm employing 550 people, Lujan previously served as a Bexar County Sheriff deputy, San Antonio Fire Department firefighter and continues to serve on the boards of multiple ministry organizations. He’s also served on multiple state legislative committees, including co-chairing juvenile justice and family issues, committed to helping Texas foster children. Lujan has five sons, three of whom are adopted. In the last legislative session, he authored or joint authored 115 bills. He voted to pass the same bills as Cain, including border security, prolife laws, property tax reform and education bills among others. 

Democrats Maureen Galindo, a marriage and family therapist and former city council candidate who lost, and Johnny Garcia, a Bexar County Sheriff deputy and public information officer, are also heading to a runoff election.

The runoff election is May 26.