Now headed into Texas\u2019 primary runoff, such disagreements threaten to end the careers of three local incumbents who remained popular in this area, and are some of the only Republicans in the state with general election skills in their DNA.<\/p>\n
The new 35th Congressional District seemed drawn specifically for state Rep.\u00a0John Lujan<\/a>\u00a0(R-San Antonio), a popular retired firefighter who flipped a Democrat-held state legislative district within its boundaries.<\/p>\n But Trump upended Lujan\u2019s smooth-sailing congressional bid the day before voting started in the March primary, backing little-known U.S. Air Force veteran<\/a> Carlos De La Cruz<\/a>, who he now faces in a runoff.<\/p>\n \u201cThey were supposed to stay out of it,\u201d Lujan said of the White House\u2019s decision \u2014 which he believes could jeopardize efforts<\/a> to hold a seat Democrats are targeting in November<\/a>.<\/p>\n On Tuesday, Trump also rocked U.S. Sen. John Cornyn<\/a>\u2018s (R-Texas) expensive reelection race, endorsing Attorney General Ken Paxton<\/a> as runoff votes were already being cast<\/a>.<\/p>\n Now the president\u2019s top political aides are attacking attorney general hopeful<\/a> U.S. Rep. Chip Roy<\/a> (R-Dripping Springs) on social media as well, as Roy scrambles to defend his record.<\/p>\n All three Republicans put much effort into building GOP power in stubbornly blue Bexar County. <\/p>\n But in a year where some believe the whole state could be in play, they say the repercussions of their losses could go much further. <\/p>\n \u201cDemocrats are energized because they see the first opportunity they\u2019ve had since 1994 to elect a statewide Democrat \u2026 and Ken Paxton would hand it to him on a silver platter,\u201d Cornyn told supporters Monday.<\/p>\n The last bastion of moderates<\/p>\n After three decades of dominance in Texas, Republicans have become a victim of their own success. They\u2019ve won every winnable seat, and long since turned their fights on one another.<\/p>\n But at The Towers on Park Lane on Monday, Republicans from a bygone era sought to rekindle some of the party\u2019s old competitive spirit. <\/p>\n Cornyn was joined by former U.S. Rep. Henry Bonilla, former U.S. Sen. Phil Graham, and former Texas Gov. Rick Perry, who\u2019ve all run tough races at times when Democrats were strong.<\/p>\n \u201cA lot of people don\u2019t remember it wasn\u2019t that long ago that Texas was a solid blue state,\u201d Bonilla said. \u201cThese guys, John Cornyn and a small group of Republican leaders, were not discouraged.\u201d<\/p>\n Cornyn got his undergraduate degree from Trinity University, then\u00a0a law degree from St. Mary\u2019s University,\u00a0and was\u00a0later recruited to run for a district court judgeship\u00a0while\u00a0attending a\u00a0Super Bowl brunch with Republicans at the\u00a0now-shuttered Barn Door<\/a>.<\/p>\n \u201cSomebody said, \u2018Well, we\u2019re looking for a candidate, and that guy\u2019s got white hair, he kind of looks like a judge,’\u201d he recalled at The Towers on Park Lane on Monday. \u201cI was 31 years old.\u201d<\/p>\n Cornyn would go on to win his race for the\u00a037th Judicial District Court in Bexar County in 1985, then\u00a0serve\u00a0on the Texas Supreme Court,\u00a0and later as Texas Attorney General, all before his now 24-year career in the U.S. Senate.<\/p>\n The GOP welcomed so many new supporters during that time it now takes such races for granted \u2014 while San Antonio remains a tough nut to crack. <\/p>\n Speaking to supporters at the Mission Open Air Market on Wednesday, Gov. Greg Abbott stressed his many efforts to shape the politics in a city where he and his wife have deep personal connections.<\/p>\n He\u2019s helped Lujan build a new coalition<\/a> of Republicans on the South Side, and delivered new congressional maps that cut an Austin Democrat out<\/a> to give San Antonio a new GOP-friendly congressional seat in TX35.<\/p>\n Now some of that work looks fragile as one of San Antonio\u2019s most popular elected Republicans leaves a tough legislative seat \u2014 for a congressional race that\u2019s no sure thing.<\/p>\n \u201cOne thing that we in the capital know, is that there really is no Republican who would be as effective at representing South San Antonio in his district, better than John Lujan,\u201d Abbott told the crowd.<\/p>\n Relationships gone bad<\/p>\n Headed into the primary, Cornyn, Roy, and Lujan all had reason to believe their track record of electability would protect them.<\/p>\n Republican leaders funneled record-breaking money in to boost Cornyn as the safer candidate to the hold the seat in November, and Lujan believed Republicans were on a similar path in his congressional district.<\/p>\n Roy didn\u2019t even run attack ads in his primary with state Sen. Mayes Middleton (R-Galveston) \u2014 a sign of confidence his record would speak for itself.<\/p>\n Yet in the final stretch of their races, all three are scrambling to defend records they say have been distorted in a party consumed by Trump.<\/p>\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/JohnLujan_GregAbbott_RepublicanVoterRally_RunoffElection_HD11812_05.20.2026_AmberEsparza.jpg\")
State Rep. John Lujan speaks about his congressional campaign as early voting is underway for the Republican runoff primaries during a voter rally at Mission Open Air Flea Market on May 20, 2026. Credit: Amber Esparza \/ San Antonio Report<\/p>\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/JohnCornyn_RickPerry_SenateRunoffs08_05.18.2026_AmberEsparza.jpg\")
From left to right, former senator Phil Gramm, former congressman Henry Bonilla, Bexar County Commissioner Grant Moody and San Antonio Councilwoman Misty Spears applaud U.S. Sen. John Cornyn as he takes the mic during a voter rally event at The Towers on Park Lane on the first day of early voting for the runoff election on May 18, 2026. Credit: Amber Esparza \/ San Antonio Report<\/p>\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/JohnCornyn_RickPerry_SenateRunoffs24_05.18.2026_AmberEsparza.jpg\")
Former Texas Gov. Rick Perry, right, and U.S. Sen. John Cornyn talk to members of the press after a voter rally event at The Towers on Park Lane on the first day of early voting for the runoff election on May 18, 2026. Credit: Amber Esparza \/ San Antonio Report<\/p>\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/JohnLujan_GregAbbott_RepublicanVoterRally_RunoffElection_HD11819_05.20.2026_AmberEsparza.jpg\")
Texas Gov. Greg Abbott addresses Republican voters during a visit in San Antonio to support State Rep. John Lujan in his congressional runoff campaign ahead of election day at Mission Open Air Flea Market on May 20, 2026. Credit: Amber Esparza \/ San Antonio Report<\/p>\n
![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/EarlyVoting_VoteHere_ElectioneeringCampaiging_PollSites_PollingLocations03_05.18.2026_AmberEsparza.j.jpeg\")
Chip Roy visits with voters on the first day of early voting for the runoff election outside of the Brook Hollow Library early voting poll site on May 18, 2026. Credit: Amber Esparza \/ San Antonio Report<\/p>\n