Carlos De La Cruz is a retired U.S. Air Force veteran who opened a kickboxing gym in San Antonio in 2018. He’s also the brother of U.S. Rep. Monica De La Cruz (R-Edinburg). He’s seeking the GOP nomination for the redrawn 35th Congressional District.
Hear from the candidate
1. Please tell voters about yourself.
I’m running for Congress because I’m not done fighting for my country. I grew up in Texas with humble beginnings, enlisted in the United States Air Force at 18, and served 20 years — including multiple deployments to the Middle East following 9/11 and assignments at our southern border conducting drug interdiction operations against the cartels.
After retiring, my wife Annette and I built a kickboxing gym from the ground up. I’m 46 years old and proud to call Texas home. I’m a veteran, a small business owner, and a father who believes this generation deserves better than what Washington has been delivering. I believe the values I swore an oath to defend are worth fighting for here at home.
2. Briefly describe your top policy priorities.
Three things keep me up at night: our kids’ future, our economy, and our security.
On the economy, working families are still struggling with prices. I want to cut wasteful spending, support pro-growth tax policy, and make sure small businesses — the backbone of Texas — can actually compete and thrive.
On the border, I’ve been there. I worked alongside Border Patrol agents conducting counter-narcotics operations against the cartels. We need to lock in the tools, personnel, and legal authority to enforce our laws so the chaos of the previous administration never comes back.
On our kids, too many young people can’t afford a home, can’t find good jobs, and are being told by our institutions that America isn’t worth loving. I reject that. I want to build an economy where raising a family is possible and an education system that prepares kids for success.
Underpinning all of it: safe communities. Families deserve to feel secure in their neighborhoods. That means fully supporting law enforcement and going after the cartels that are flooding our streets with fentanyl.
3. What should Congress be doing to rein in inflation and/or stabilize/boost the economy?
First, we have to cut spending without compromising the benefits our retirees earned and depend on. The federal government cannot keep running up debt and printing money without consequences for working people.
Second, we need to unleash American energy. Affordable energy is an economic issue. It affects the cost of everything.
Third, we should be reducing regulatory burdens on small businesses.
I built a business with my wife from nothing. I know what it costs to keep the lights on and employees paid. Congress needs more people who’ve made payroll. Those are the voices our community deserves at the table.
4. What should Congress be doing to reform immigration laws?
I’m the only candidate in this race who has actually stood at our southern border. Immigration is part of America’s story, and it’s certainly part of Texas’s story. But it has to be legal, orderly, and safe. That means finishing the job on border security: the infrastructure, personnel, technology, and legal authority for border officials to do their work without Washington tying their hands. It means going after the cartels with every tool available. And it means fixing a broken legal immigration system that’s backlogged and unworkable, making it harder for people who want to come the right way.
5. At a time when the White House is asserting more control over national security and spending without Congress’ input, how would you handle disagreements over the division of power?
The Founders designed Congress as an independent branch for a reason, and I think that’s actually a feature, not a bug. Yes, legislation moves slower than executive action, but it’s also stronger and more enduring. When Congress does its job and turns priorities into law, those wins are harder to reverse and harder to challenge in court. That’s what I want to help build.
The American people sent a clear message about the direction they want this country to go on border security, spending, energy, and economic growth. I intend to work with President Trump and congressional leaders to move that agenda forward and turn it into durable policy. Congress needs to be more proactive in governing, and I plan to show up and do exactly that.
6. The past year has brought tremendous uncertainty to many Americans surrounding rising health insurance premiums and lack of access to medical care near their homes. What do you believe Congress should be doing to make health care affordable and accessible to residents in your state?
This issue is personal to my family, and I know it’s personal to families across Texas, especially in rural communities where the nearest hospital can be an hour or more away.
We need more competition, not more government control. When insurance companies and hospital systems operate without real market pressure, prices go up and quality goes down. I support policies that increase transparency in pricing, expand options for small businesses and self-employed workers to afford coverage, and cut the regulatory red tape that makes it nearly impossible for rural clinics and independent providers to stay open.
We also need to train and retain more medical professionals in underserved communities, including incentives for physicians to practice closer to home. Washington doesn’t have a one-size-fits-all solution to this, and I’m skeptical of anyone who says it does. What I can promise is that I’ll fight for options that actually work for the families I’ll represent.
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