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Texas state Representative and U.S. Senate candidate James Talarico says he will not campaign with Democratic congressional candidate Maureen Galindo if she wins the May 26 runoff election in Texas’ 35th Congressional District, which covers San Antonio and surrounding counties.
In a statement to the Jewish Telegraphic Agency, Talarico condemned remarks Galindo has made publicly during the campaign as antisemitic.
“This antisemitic rhetoric has no place in our politics,” Talarico said. “We need leadership in both parties willing to stand up and call out hate wherever it rears its ugly head.”
Talarico’s campaign later told JTA that if Galindo becomes the Democratic nominee in TX-35, he will not campaign with her.
Criticism of Galindo has intensified in recent days over comments she has made on social media, in videos and during media appearances, including a recent interview on Texas Public Radio’s The Source.
After saying she would abolish ICE, Galindo claimed Immigration and Customs Enforcement was part of “an Israeli occupation of America,” despite ICE being a domestic federal agency within the U.S. Department of Homeland Security.
Galindo referenced reported cooperation and training relationships between U.S. law enforcement agencies and the Israel Defense Forces, or IDF. The IDF has faced international criticism over its conduct in the war in Gaza and the high number of civilian casualties.
“Maybe Johnny Garcia and others who support him, or anybody who is supported by Israel, should be tried for treason,” Galindo said during the forum.
Galindo also repeated claims condemned by Jewish organizations as antisemitic tropes that Zionists control the media, banking system and politicians, including in San Antonio. She additionally referenced what she described as “DC operatives and Israeli operatives” seeking influence over South Texas politics.
“My issues are making sure that our community stays safe, that we combat antisemitic remarks that we’ve seen my opponent make,” Garcia said.
Garcia said members of San Antonio’s Jewish community told him Galindo’s remarks were discouraging Democratic voters.
“It hurts people,” Garcia said. “It gets people to sit out of elections and lose faith in the Democratic Party.”
Galindo also claimed Garcia had taken money from AIPAC, the pro-Israel lobbying group. Garcia denied that claim and said he had instead received an endorsement from Democratic Majority for Israel, a pro-Israel Democratic group.
In a statement earlier this week, the Jewish Federation of San Antonio condemned “antisemitic tropes and conspiracy theories in public discourse” and said rhetoric targeting the Jewish community “has no place in our civic life.”
Galindo, a housing activist and sex therapist, has denied being antisemitic and defended her remarks.
The comments have become a flashpoint in the Democratic May 26 runoff election between Galindo and Garcia after Galindo finished as the top vote-getter in the March primary.
Garcia, a Bexar County sheriff’s deputy, has positioned himself as a centrist “Blue Dog” Democrat aligned with South Texas Democrats like Henry Cuellar and Vicente Gonzalez.
Galindo has criticized Garcia for what she called a “colonized mindset.” Garcia has described himself as a moderate trying to “build a broad coalition” that can “ultimately win this race.”
The Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee has made the rare move of backing Garcia before the runoff has been decided.
The Democratic nominee will face either Republican state Representative John Lujan or Air Force veteran Carlos De La Cruz in November in a district GOP lawmakers redrew last year to favor Republicans.
The district is currently represented by progressive Democrat Greg Casar, who chose to run in a different district after GOP redistricting dramatically reshaped the 35th. The district now contains less than 10% of its previous constituency and no longer includes Austin.
Before redistricting, the nonpartisan Cook Political Report rated the district as lean Democratic. It now rates the district as likely Republican.
Galindo has also faced scrutiny over support from a Florida-based political action committee called Lean Left, which Punchbowl News reported was backed by Republican donors.
The group recently mailed flyers to Democratic voters in the district supporting Galindo, a move critics said appeared aimed at boosting a candidate Republicans may view as easier to defeat in November.
Galindo said she had no contact with the PAC and declined to condemn its support.
“I absolutely have the best chance at winning,” Galindo said. “So yeah, it would definitely fail if that was their agenda.”
