Focused on immigration issues, U.S. Rep. Joaquin Castro (D-San Antonio) sails to his eighth term in Congress representing the 20th Congressional District.
As of 9 p.m., Castro holds the lead with 79% of the vote and an estimated 65% of votes counted, according to the Associated Press.
“I look forward to returning to a new Congress that will put a check on Donald Trump, reign in ICE, and deliver relief for hardworking families struggling to get by,” Castro said in claiming victory on social media. “We have a lot of work to do — and I’m grateful to have your support in the fight ahead.”
The San Antonio district which encompasses nearly all of downtown was reshaped through a mid-cycle redistricting effort last year that turned Castro’s district bluer than ever, effectively curbing any Republican challenger’s bid for the seat.
Castro bested Army veteran and retired lawyer Edgardo Báez, a Republican whose campaign was centered on his opposition to communism.
Campaign finance reports show Castro spent just $601,757 on his entire reelection race during a campaign season that saw millions of dollars funneled into Texas in pursuit of both parties’ hopes for control of Congress. It still dwarfed his opponent, who raised roughly one-tenth that amount in his own bid.
In a nod to the uncompetitive race, on the final day of early voting, Castro was at an immigration detention center in Dilley, Texas, working for the release of a mother and her newborn detained four weeks after the birth. He announced her release the same day.
In an Oct. 8 interview, Castro said he had spent much of 2026 elevating concerns over immigration and the activities of the Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) under the Trump administration.
He’s made nearly a dozen visits to the South Texas Family Residential Center in Dilley, stood outside ICE detention facilities throughout the state calling for them to be shut down, and has worked for high-profile detainees to be released.
During the 119th Congress, Castro cast 40 of 40 tracked roll-call votes, siding with the Democratic Party on nearly every vote.
The representative has recently sponsored bills directing the removal of the armed forces from hostilities that have not been authorized by Congress and from unauthorized hostilities in the Islamic Republic of Iran.
He also sponsored a bill recognizing the significance of equal pay and the disparity in wages paid to men and women.
Castro serves on the House Foreign Affairs Committee and the House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence.
Should Democrats take control of the House, Castro will likely chair the Subcommittee on the Western Hemisphere in the Foreign Affairs Committee.
Born in 1974, Castro grew up on San Antonio’s West Side and attended public schools with his identical twin brother, former three-term mayor and District 7 Councilman Julián Castro.
The representative married Anna Flores in 2013 and they have one child together.
