A Democratic House candidate in Texas is facing widespread condemnation and accusations of antisemitism after she declared her intention to transform an immigration detention facility into a “prison for American Zionists” if elected. The controversy has prompted Democrats to distance themselves from her and raised allegations that conservative groups may be bolstering her campaign.
Candidate’s Controversial Statements
Maureen Galindo is challenging Johnny Garcia in the upcoming Democratic primary runoff for Texas’s 35th congressional district, which encompasses parts of San Antonio and surrounding counties. The district, historically a Democratic stronghold, has become more competitive after recent redistricting by Texas Republicans.
Last week, Galindo posted on Instagram that she would introduce legislation declaring Zionism as antisemitic and would “turn Karnes ICE Detention Center into a prison for American Zionists and former ICE officers for human trafficking.” She also suggested it would serve as a “castration processing center for pedophiles,” adding that “most of the Zionists” would fall into that category.
In a subsequent radio interview, Galindo denied being antisemitic but expressed opposition to “Zionist Jews.” She further claimed that Garcia and others supported by pro-Israel groups should be “tried for treason.”
Allegations of Republican Interference
Democrats have raised concerns about a recently formed political action committee, Lead Left Pac, which has spent over $900,000 promoting Galindo. The PAC, founded less than a month ago, is the largest spender in the Democratic primary runoff but has not disclosed its donors. AdImpact reports the group has allocated more than $600,000 to advertisements, and federal filings indicate additional spending on mail campaigns.
Links to the Republican fundraising platform WinRed were reportedly removed from the PAC’s website metadata after being flagged by Punchbowl News. The group has also run ads in Democratic primaries in Pennsylvania and Nebraska.
House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries and Representative Suzan DelBene, chair of the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee, issued a joint statement condemning Galindo’s remarks as “extremely dangerous” and “vile,” asserting they have “no place in Democratic politics.” They called on House Republican leadership to “immediately cease propping up this antisemitic candidacy” and to condemn the comments.
Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez labelled Galindo’s statements “bigoted garbage and antisemitism,” urging exposure of the donors behind the Republican Super PAC funding her campaign.
Representatives Josh Gottheimer and Jared Moskowitz warned that if Galindo wins, they would force a vote to expel her every day she serves, describing her views as “insane” and “antisemitic.”
Responses from Opponents and GOP
Garcia accused Galindo of “pushing conspiracy theories and hateful rhetoric,” suggesting Republicans are boosting her campaign because they view her as an easy opponent in November. James Talarico, a prominent Texas Democrat running for governor, endorsed Garcia and stated he would not campaign with Galindo.
House Speaker Mike Johnson denied any Republican involvement, claiming ignorance of Galindo until her comments surfaced, and characterized her views as indicative of the Democratic Party’s direction.
Galindo did not respond to requests for comment, but her campaign website issued a statement denying she called for internment camps, asserting that the term was used by an “unethical journalist.” The statement reiterated her desire to convert the Karnes facility into a prison for “billionaire zionists” involved in trafficking and to establish a department for exposing pedophiles, including castration at the facility.
Galindo, a former sex therapist, finished first in the March primary and faces Garcia, a former sheriff’s deputy, in the runoff election on Tuesday.
