Maureen Galindo, a Democratic hopeful in Texas’ newly redrawn 35th Congressional District, is facing a widening backlash after posting a series of antisemitic remarks over the weekend and escalating attacks on her runoff opponent, Johnny Garcia. The comments landed as early voting was already underway and with the May 22 deadline approaching.
In an Instagram post over the weekend, Galindo said she would turn the Karnes ICE Detention Center into a prison for “American Zionists” and former ICE officers for human trafficking. She also wrote that the site would be “a castration processing center for pedophiles,” language that drew immediate scrutiny for its violent and conspiratorial tone.
The posts were the latest step in a week of rhetoric that has pushed Galindo further outside the mainstream of her party. Last week, she accused Garcia of taking part in a human trafficking conspiracy orchestrated by billionaire Zionist Jews. In a Texas Public Radio interview, she said she would put Garcia on trial for treason. She also kept promoting the claim that a cabal of Jewish Zionists controls Hollywood, the media and local politicians.
That message is not being confined to the campaign trail. Last week, Galindo told the Current, “I think it’s actually the zionists who are putting Jewish people at the most risk.” The statement was part of a broader pattern that critics say blends antisemitic tropes with political grievance and leaves little room for distinction between Jews, Zionists and public officials.
The San Antonio Jewish Federation condemned the rhetoric, saying, “The JFSA strongly condemns the spread of antisemitic tropes and conspiracy theories in public discourse,” and adding that “Divisive and hateful rhetoric targeting the Jewish community has no place in our civic life.” Its response reflected the concern that Galindo’s comments are not isolated but part of a public discourse that can spill beyond one campaign.
The political fallout has been swift. John Lira rescinded his endorsement of Galindo last week, and on Friday state Rep. James Talarico said he would not campaign alongside her even if she wins the runoff. “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 where it rears its ugly head.”
The race is playing out in Texas’ newly redrawn 35th Congressional District, where about 30,000 locals are watching a contest that has drawn national attention for remarks critics have called antisemitic and untethered from reality. The Karnes ICE Detention Center, which Galindo named in her posts, is south of San Antonio and is used by the Trump administration to detain migrants.
The practical question now is whether the backlash changes the runoff before Tuesday, May 26, or simply hardens the divide around Galindo. Early voting runs through Friday, May 22, and mainstream Democrats have increasingly distanced themselves as her rhetoric has intensified. For now, the campaign is no longer just about who will win the nomination. It is about how much a candidate can say before the party around her decides it can no longer stand beside her.
