Democratic candidate Maureen Galindo, who called for “American Zionists” to be imprisoned in ICE detention centers, lost her primary runoff race in Texas on Tuesday night.
Bexar County Sheriff’s Office official Johnny Garcia soundly defeated Galindo by approximately 64 to 36 percent, San Antonio CBS affiliate KENS-TV reported.
Galindo had defeated Garcia in the original March primary by a narrow 29 to 27, but because neither won a majority of the vote in the 35th congressional district race, they advanced to a runoff.
Galindo, a 38-year-old sex therapist, made national headlines with an Instagram post on her campaign account, which vowed that when she got to Congress, “She’ll turn Karnes ICE Detention Center into a prison for American Zionists and former ICE officers for human trafficking. (It will also be a castration processing center for pedophiles which will probably be most of the Zionists).”
Maureen Galindo, a Democrat running for Congress in TX-35, says in an Instagram post that she would turn an ICE detention center near San Antonio “into a prison for American Zionists”, and will also use it as a castration processing center for pedophiles, “which will probably be… pic.twitter.com/d5Xmb2uk9n
— Bill Melugin (@BillMelugin_) May 19, 2026
In a follow-up post last week, Galindo clarified that “does not mean I want Jews in internment camps,” but that “if you are a Zionist” then “you are a danger to humanity and belong in prison.” The candidate further asserted that MAGA Republicans and Jewish Zionists are “the exact same thing.”
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The New York Post reported last week that Galindo also called for Garcia to be “tried for treason” over his support for Israel.
Asked Friday by the outlet whether she stood by her comments, Galindo said, “YES. In fact, as soon as I’m elected, I’ll start the process of having all American candidates and elected officials who knowingly accepted Israeli-affiliated money tried for treason.”
The Federal Election Commission website showed that the political action committee Democrat Majority for Israel endorsed Garcia’s candidacy and spent approximately $400 in the race.
Garcia told Jewish Insider in March, “I firmly believe the actors of Hamas are a terrorist organization. We need to make sure our closest ally in the Middle East remains safe and has the ability to protect itself,” according to the New York Post.
The candidate is running as a moderate Democrat in the 35th congressional district, which was redrawn by the Texas state legislature last year, making it a possible Republican pickup in November.
“Squad” member Rep. Greg Casar, who currently represents the district, is now running in the 37th district, which is solidly blue, The Washington Post reported.
The Democratic establishment distanced itself from Galindo’s candidacy, following her call to imprison Zionists.
“This vile language by her is disqualifying and has no place in American politics, and certainly not in the Democratic Party,” House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries and the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee said in a joint statement, adding, “To embrace and uplift a fringe candidate with antisemitic — and extremely dangerous — rhetoric and views in order to win an election is beyond the pale.”
The Democrats asserted that “MAGA” Republicans were funding her candidacy through a Super PAC following her surprise win in March.
Similarly, “Squad” member Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez posted on social media last week regarding Galindo’s comments, “This is absolutely disgusting. This bigoted garbage and antisemitism should be nowhere near our politics.”
She encouraged Texans to vote for Garcia, also accusing Republicans of funding Galindo, presumably to make defeating the Democratic candidate easier in a general election.
Maureen Galindo went from winning her primary to losing her runoff by 20 points after she expressed her views of Jews, Zionists, and Israel—because you can’t go full antisemite and win elections in America.
My column: https://t.co/XQqpscHIeH pic.twitter.com/NCimomOECm
— Batya Ungar-Sargon (@bungarsargon) May 27, 2026
The Washington Post reported, “Since early May, Lead Left has spent nearly $1 million to support her, according to its disclosures. The PAC, which has been linked to a Republican campaign donation processor, has also poured money into Democratic primaries in Nebraska and Pennsylvania but has not revealed its donors. Democrats have used a similar tactic in past midterms.”
In November, Garcia will face Carlos De La Cruz, an Air Force combat veteran endorsed by President Donald Trump. He is the brother of Rep. Monica De La Cruz, a Republican who represents the 15th congressional district in southcentral Texas.
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