Texas Democrat faces backlash over antisemitic social media posts

House Democratic leaders, Texas Democrats and San Antonio Jewish organizers have moved quickly to condemn Maureen Galindo’s social media posts, turning her runoff for Texas’ 35th Congressional District into a test of where the political red line now sits inside the party.

Galindo, a therapist and housing advocate, finished first in the March 3 Democratic primary with 29.2% of the vote, or 15,931 ballots, while Johnny Garcia finished second with 27.0%, or 14,743 votes. Their runoff is set for May 26 in a district that Republican lawmakers redrew last summer to be more favorable to the GOP, shifting it from one Vice President Kamala Harris had won by more than 33 points to one that would have backed Donald Trump by about 10%.

The backlash intensified after Galindo wrote on Instagram that she would "turn Karnes ICE Detention Center into a prison for American Zionists and former ICE officers for human trafficking" and that it would be "a castration processing center for pedophiles which will probably be most of the Zionists." She also wrote that, when she gets to Congress, she would write legislation so that all Zionism and support of Zionism is "undoubtedly Anti-Semitic," and her feed has included attacks on "billionaire Zionists," calls for "treason trials" for "Zionist associated candidates and politicians," and claims that Jews run Hollywood and worship the "synagogue of Satan." Galindo has denied that she is antisemitic, saying instead that she is opposed to "Zionist Jews."

Garcia called the posts "conspiracy theories and hateful rhetoric." James Talarico, the Texas Senate candidate, said he would not campaign with Galindo if she wins the runoff, and his campaign confirmed he will not stump for her. House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries and Rep. Suzan DelBene, who chairs the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee, said Galindo’s language was "vile" and "extremely dangerous" and has "no place in Democratic politics." Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez also condemned the remarks. Republican Carlos De La Cruz said, "This rhetoric is disgusting and has no place in Texas."

The Jewish Federation of San Antonio also condemned what it called the spread of antisemitic tropes, saying divisive and hateful rhetoric targeting the Jewish community has no place in civic life. The criticism matters beyond one runoff because Democrats are trying to keep Jewish voters in the coalition while also contesting a redrawn district that could be competitive in November.

The race has also become a fight over money and interference. A newly formed pro-Galindo group, Lead Left PAC, has spent nearly $600,000 on broadcast and cable advertising plus mailers, even though Galindo herself has raised only about $11,000. The PAC filed with federal regulators in early May and has not publicly disclosed its donors. Punchbowl News reported that metadata on the group’s website linked it to WinRed, the Republican fundraising platform, and the DCCC accused Republicans of using dark money to uplift an openly antisemitic candidate.

For Galindo, the immediate question is not only whether she can survive the runoff, but whether the condemnation surrounding her campaign becomes an electoral penalty or simply another line of attack in a district that will help define Democratic standards on antisemitism.