Democratic political organizer Kristian Carranza said Wednesday that she’ll mount a second run against incumbent state Rep. John Lujan III to represent Texas House District 118, which includes a large swath of South and East San Antonio. The district is considered one of the city’s few still competitive after the state’s redrawing of political maps to favor the GOP.
Even though Carranza’s 2024 campaign drew national and statewide investment and ran a vigorous ground game, Lujan — a former firefighter and sheriff’s deputy — won by a 4-point margin.
Carranza’s campaign is likely betting she has better a chance in 2026, which observers predict could see high Democratic turnout to voice disapproval of President Donald Trump. So far, Carranza has lined up endorsements from civil-rights activist Rosie Castro and San Antonio City Council members Melissa Cabello Havrda, Jalen McKee-Rodriguez and Edward Mungia, according to a statement from her campaign.
Carranza is also closely affiliated with San Antonio Mayor-elect Gina Ortiz Jones, having served as field director for her 2018 campaign for U.S. House District 23, which she lost by half a percentage point.
Lujan, the only San Antonio-area member of the Texas’ House’s powerful Appropriations Committee, also announced his candidacy Wednesday. He’s drawn endorsements from statewide Republican elected officials including Gov. Greg Abbott and Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick along with San Antonio’s powerful fire union.
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This article appears in May 29 – Jun 11, 2025.