Democrats have been scrambling to prevent a little-known candidate accused of harboring antisemitic views — and backed by a mysterious and sudden influx of cash — from becoming the party’s nominee in a contested U.S. House race around San Antonio.
The Democratic House leader, Hakeem Jefferies, accused Republicans of secretly supporting the candidate, Maureen Galindo, as a way to undercut Democrats’ chances in November. Two Jewish members of the House vowed that if she were elected to Congress, they would force a daily vote to expel her.
Ms. Galindo, a progressive sex therapist with little political experience, attracted national attention and anger for suggesting an immigration detention center be turned into “a prison for American Zionists.” She has said she was not suggesting that all Jewish people should be put in prison.
“Everything is based off a local journalist twisting words,” she said in a text message to The New York Times. “I have always called for all detention centers to be closed.”
But for all the discussion in Washington and among online political commentators, the primary runoff appeared to garner significantly less attention in Texas’s 35th congressional district.
In interviews with voters on Friday, the last day of early voting, most were unaware of the controversy surrounding Ms. Galindo. Others knew little about the specifics.
Anna Lisa Mendiola said she had seen headlines about Ms. Galindo’s remarks, but brushed them off as political attacks. She said she liked that Ms. Galindo was a progressive who challenged Republicans.
“I’m not familiar with all of the things she said,” Ms. Mendiola said. “I just feel that the way we get news today, you just get sound bites. You don’t get the whole story.
“We need more progressives,” she said. “I’m voting for her.”
In an unusual move, four local county Democratic parties involved in the district’s primary issued a statement that said Ms. Galindo’s comments “do not reflect our values as Democrats or Texans.”
Michelle Lowe Solis, the chair of the Bexar County Democratic Party, said that, so far, turnout had been low in the race, despite the broad scrutiny. “I was hoping there would be a much more informed voter coming out,” she said.
In recent days, Democrats in Washington have been trying to help to change that. The Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee put out a television ad on Friday attacking “MAGA Maureen” and supporting her opponent, Johnny Garcia, a deputy sheriff and moderate Democrat who is the committee’s preferred candidate.
The effort has been in response to nearly $1 million spent on television ads and mailers in support of Ms. Galindo by a political action committee with links to Republicans that calls itself Lead Left. The committee did not respond to an email seeking comment.
On Friday morning, Mr. Garcia was talking to voters and handing out fliers at polling places around San Antonio.
“I think, thankfully, at the right time, people are starting to wake up and realize how our opponent is going to hurt our party,” Mr. Garcia said. “The rhetoric that she uses is vile.”
Ms. Galindo also campaigned around San Antonio on Friday. She declined an interview request, but said that she had nothing to do with the huge campaign spending on her behalf.
“I continue to just build community,” she said.
The 35th district, currently represented by Greg Casar, an outspoken Austin progressive, had been safely Democratic until last year, when Republicans in the Texas Legislature redrew the congressional map. Mr. Casar opted to run for a different district, leaving the seat, covering communities to the south and east of San Antonio, open.
The newly drawn majority Hispanic district was designed to favor a Republican, but Democrats have said that the sour national mood could help them compete and possibly win the district.
Mr. Garcia said he had been able to get Latino voters who backed Trump in 2024 to vote for him this time around.
He added: “Give me some time with some of these Republicans, we flip them,.”
But first Mr. Garcia would need to win the primary. Part of the concern for his backers was based on Ms. Galindo’s success in the initial vote in March. She came in first.
Kimberly Hurst, 42, who lives in a suburb of San Antonio, said she was initially intrigued by Ms. Galindo’s progressive views, like her opposition to data centers.
“I really wanted to like her,” she said. “I did my research. I saw that she was negative. She says horrible things.”
Debbie Garcia, 55, a longtime Democrat, had the same experience. She said she liked how Ms. Galindo took a stand against the Trump administration’s aggressive immigration enforcement. But listening to her during the campaign, she came away unimpressed.
“When she starts talking, it doesn’t make sense,” Ms. Garcia said.
For Grecia Lord, 24, the issues with Ms. Galindo began weeks ago. Ms. Galindo had discussed Latino men and domestic abuse in a way that she felt played into negative stereotypes.
“That was my very first red flag,” Ms. Lord said.
Edgar Sandoval covers Texas for The Times, with a focus on the Latino community and the border with Mexico. He is based in San Antonio.
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