House Speaker Mike Johnson is set to visit South Texas this week as he campaigns alongside Republican candidates in four congressional districts, underscoring the strategic significance of this region in the upcoming elections for control of the House of Representatives.
Representing Louisiana, Johnson currently leads a slim 218-212 majority in the House GOP. He faces the challenge of maintaining or potentially expanding this majority in the November elections, despite historical trends and political headwinds. To achieve this, Republicans aim to secure all three Democratic-held seats in South Texas, which have been redrawn by the Texas Legislature to favor their party. Additionally, they are defending a couple of districts that are under threat from Democratic challengers.
The four districts on Johnson’s itinerary are predominantly Hispanic and were won by former President Donald Trump in the 2024 election. This fall, Republicans must mobilize these voters again, despite Trump’s absence on the ballot and his declining approval ratings among Latino voters.
The nonpartisan Cook Political Report classifies all four districts as competitive, ranging from “lean Democratic” to “likely Republican.”
Johnson’s visit to South Texas is part of an extensive campaign tour during Congress’s recess, where he has been actively engaging in competitive districts nationwide throughout August. In July, he supported Republican Brandon Herrera in San Antonio’s 23rd Congressional District, a GOP-leaning seat vacated by former Rep. Tony Gonzales. Despite Trump winning this district by a significant margin of 15 points two years ago, it is now a target for national Democrats.
The speaker’s Texas tour will kick off in the 35th Congressional District, where he plans to attend a veterans-focused event with Republican nominee Carlos De La Cruz on Wednesday evening. This district, located in San Antonio and surrounding areas, underwent significant changes during redistricting. De La Cruz, an Air Force veteran, is contesting against moderate Democrat Johnny Garcia, a Bexar County Sheriff’s Deputy, in a district that Trump won by 10 points in the last election.
On Thursday, Johnson will be in San Patricio County in the Coastal Bend for a rally with Rep. Monica De La Cruz, R-Edinburg. The second-term incumbent is facing Democrat Bobby Pulido, a Tejano musician, in a district that Trump won by 18 points in 2024 but has become increasingly competitive. This county was incorporated into De La Cruz’s 15th Congressional District as part of the new Republican redistricting map.
Later that day, Johnson will travel to Laredo to support Webb County Judge Tano Tijerina, a former Democrat now running as a Republican against Rep. Henry Cuellar, D-Laredo. The pair will inaugurate Tijerina’s campaign headquarters in the 28th Congressional District, where Cuellar was reelected in 2024 despite Trump securing a majority of the votes. The district was redrawn to adjust Trump’s margin of victory to 10 points.
Additionally, Johnson is scheduled to attend a law enforcement event on Thursday in Harlingen with Eric Flores, the Republican candidate in Texas’ 34th Congressional District. Flores, a lawyer and Army veteran, is running against Rep. Vicente Gonzalez, D-McAllen, in a district that has been redrawn to be more favorable to the GOP and now encompasses parts of Corpus Christi.
