By Edmond Ortiz
Early voting begins Feb. 17 for the March 3 primaries, and 41 Democrats and Republicans are eyeing four San Antonio-area Congressional seats, two of which are considered by political observers as being wide open for the taking.
U.S. Representative, District 21
Republican Chip Roy is running for the GOP nomination in a heated race for Texas attorney general, leaving the contest to replace him as the District 21 representative an open field. Roy served in District 21 for three terms.
Eleven Republicans are vying for a chance to succeed Roy and represent a Congressional district that covers much of the Hill Country, parts of north San Antonio and Bexar County, and where voters have historically gone with the GOP since 1978.
Three Democrats are seeking a spot in the November general election ballot: San Antonian Kristin Hook, a former federal government scientist who ran for the same position in 2024; Regina Vanburg, a local VA-trained trauma psychologist who has spent her career serving veterans and active-duty service members; and Gary Taylor, a musician and retired educator. Taylor worked on Hook’s last campaign.
Contestants are Austin attorney and chemist Daniel Betts; Jason Cahill, a former federal intelligence analyst who now is an oil and gas industry executive; Jacques DuBose, a Boerne resident, U.S. Navy veteran and current consulting business owner; Zeke Enriquez, a Bandera-based account manager and a retired Marine; San Antonio arbitrator Weston Martinez, who has previously run for City Council and state railroad commissioner; New Braunfels engineer and entrepreneur Paul Rojas; Bandera attorney Heather Tessmer; Dripping Springs’ Mark Teixeira, a former Major League Baseball star whose past teams included the Texas Rangers; Driftwood-based attorney James “Trey” Trainor, who served in the U.S. Army Reserves; San Antonio businesswoman Peggy McCormick Wardlaw; and financial executive Mike Wheeler. Kyle Sinclair withdrew, but his name remains on the ballot.
U.S. Representative District 23
Local incumbent Republican and U.S. Navy veteran Tony Gonzales is seeking a fourth term, but is facing three challengers in the GOP primary, including a former Congress member: San Antonian Keith Barton, a Marine Corps veteran, project manager and business owner; San Antonio attorney Francisco “Quico” Canseco, a past District 23 representative; and Helotes entrepreneur Brandon Herrera, a past District 23 candidate.
The four candidates in the Democratic primary are: Marfa resident Gretel Enck, a former National Parks Service employee whose 25-year career was ended by the Trump administration’s federal downsizing efforts; San Antonio-based engineer and entrepreneur Santos Limon, who sought the same office in 2024; Alpine-based accountant Bruce Richardson; and San Antonio attorney Katy Padilla Stout.
District 23 stretches from west and northwest Bexar County through West Texas to the El Paso area. Recently, a lawyer representing President Donald Trump sent the Herrera campaign a cease-and-desist letter, asking the candidate to stop using a Photoshopped picture of him with Trump on his current campaign promotional materials. Trump has endorsed Gonzales, who has parted with the president on some issues.
U.S. Representative District 35
Redistricting in the last state legislature forced two-term Democratic incumbent Greg Casar of Austin to shift gears and run for the Congressional District 37 seat.
The redrawn District 35 now includes southern and eastern Bexar County, and Guadalupe, Wilson and Karnes counties. Voters in the latter three counties typically vote Republican.
The Democratic primary for the redrawn District 35 includes: San Antonio-based community organizer Maureen Galindo, a former City Council contestant; Johnny Garcia, a Bexar County Sheriff’s Office veteran who presently serves as Sheriff Javier Salazar’s public information officer; Marine Corps veteran John Lira, a policy analyst and a past Congressional candidate; and Whitney Masterson-Moyes, a Guadalupe County-based business owner.
The Republican primary involves 11 candidates, including San Antonian and current District 118 State Rep. John Lujan. He will be contending with: New Braunfels businessman Randy Adams; Seguin-based Josh Cortez, an educator, entrepreneur and former Congressional staffer; Universal City resident Carlos De La Cruz, a U.S. Air Force veteran and business owner and a former staffer for U.S. Rep. Monica De La Cruz; San Antonian home inspector Mark Eberwine; Universal City resident and Naval veteran Jay Furman; Victoria-based retired U.S. Army officer Vanessa Hicks-Callaway; New Braunfels-based entrepreneur Ryan Krause; San Antonian and U.S. Coast Guard veteran Larry La Rose; San Antonio-based business owner and engineer Rod Lingsch, a former U.S. Air Force pilot and former law enforcement officer; and law enforcement veteran Steven Wright.
In Congressional District 20, incumbent Joaquin Castro faces a challenge in the Democratic primary from law professor and former San Antonio mayoral candidate John Atwood and teacher Kendra Elizabeth Wilkerson, who ran for City Council last year. The Democratic primary winner will meet the lone Republican in the race, attorney Edgardo Rafael Baez, in the November general election.
Early voting details
Bexar County polling sites will be available for early voting 8 a.m.-6 p.m. Feb. 17-20, and 7 a.m.-7 p.m. Feb. 21 and 23-27, and noon-6 p.m. Feb. 22 at the locations found at this link.
Guadalupe County polling sites will be open for early voting 8 a.m.-5 p.m. Feb. 17-20, and 7 a.m.-7 p.m. Feb. 21 and 23-27, and noon-6 p.m. Feb. 22 at five locations.
Early voting in Comal County will take place 8 a.m.-5 p.m. Feb. 17-20, and 7 a.m.-7 p.m. Feb. 21 and 23-27, and noon-6 p.m. Feb. 22 at these five locations.
Garden Ridge City Hall, 9400 Municipal Pkwy., will be open to early voters 8 a.m.-5 p.m. Feb. 17-20; and 7 a.m.-7 p.m. Feb. 21, 23-25 and 27; and 7 a.m.-3 p.m. Feb. 26; and noon-6 p.m. Feb. 22.
The Kendall County Courthouse Annex, 221 Fawn Valley Drive in Boerne, will be Kendall County’s lone early voting station. Polling here will be available 8 a.m.-6 p.m. Feb. 17-20, and 7 a.m.-7 p.m. Feb. 21 and 23-27, and 9 a.m.-3 p.m. Feb. 22.
