Kristian Carranza For House District 118

The Blue Battle 2024: Inside the Democratic races.

May 20, 2024

Of all the House races throughout Texas, House District 118 (HD118) is one election I’m feeling really good about. There are five House seats in Texas that I wouldn’t call guaranteed to flip, but I will say that someone has to screw up pretty bad for them not to flip. HD118 is included in these five.

Not only is HD118 ripe for flipping, but we also have a stellar candidate running for this seat.

Who is Kristian Carranza?

Kristian Carranza is a fantastic candidate because her life story and platform reflect a deep understanding of the challenges faced by working families in HD118. Her candidacy represents more than just a political campaign; it's a personal mission driven by a lifetime of experiences and a relentless commitment to public service.

Growing up on the South Side of Bexar County, Carranza's journey is marked by her dedication to her family and community. Her professional background distinguishes her as an experienced and connected candidate. Carranza's experience as a community organizer and campaign manager, including her roles under President Obama’s administration, demonstrates her ability to manage complex issues and large-scale projects.

Carranza's campaign is built on a foundation of lived experience, professional expertise, and a genuine commitment to improving the lives of her constituents. Her platform addresses the critical issues facing HD118, and her personal story of resilience and dedication makes her a compelling and inspiring leader.

Who is she running against?

The current Republican incumbent shouldn’t even be there. Representative John Lujan was lucky twice to get into this role, but my money is on the people of San Antonio, not allowing that to happen again.

HD118 is 73% Hispanic, yet John Lujan has used his short time in the Texas House to vote against the Hispanic community.

Lujan voted in favor of SB4, the bill that gave people a 10-year minimum prison sentence for having an undocumented person in their vehicle, even if that person was a relative or a friend.
Lujan voted in favor of SB17, the anti-DEI (diversity, equity, and inclusion) ban. Because of this bill, programs at Texas universities that help migrants and first-generation students have now been shuttered.
Lujan voted in favor of HB7, which created a “border police” to militarize border communities that have heavy Hispanic populations.

There are a lot of working-class neighborhoods in HD118, and John Lujan also voted against their interests.

Representative Lujan voted in favor of HB2127, which prohibited cities from mandating outside workers take water breaks. Last summer, San Antonio saw a heat index of 115°.

Time and time again, Lujan has proven himself to be no more than a shill for Greg Abbott, pushing Abbott’s agenda and voting as Abbott chooses.

How did Lujan even get elected in the first place?

HD118 is a blue district. When Republicans drew this district in 2021, they intended it to be blue. It was previously held by Leo Pacheco (D) until he abruptly resigned in 2021 to teach public administration. That’s when there was a special election in 2021.

In the September 2021 special election, 4% of the voters in this district showed up to the polls. Yes, FOUR PERCENT. That led to a runoff between John Lujan (R) and Frank Ramirez (D).

Ramirez raised $735,000 for that runoff, but big Republican donors poured $2.5 million into Lujan’s coffers. As a result, the runoff election saw a 7% voter turnout, in which Lujan only won by 285 votes.

This district reached a 10% voter turnout in neither of those races. You would think they would have learned that not turning out gives us shit-Republicans. Unfortunately, we know how bad things went for Texas Democratic voter turnout in 2022.

In 2022, Frank Ramirez and John Lujan rematched. Yet only 33% of HD118 voters showed up to vote. Lujan won again by only two points.

What about this district? Why will this year be different?

First and foremost, it’s a presidential election year. Turnout is always different in a presidential year than in a midterm or a special election. We should expect to see nearly double the turnout in 2024 compared to 2022. As we all know, higher turnout favors Democrats.

Currently, Carranza is on par with Lujan on how much they have raised, and as bad as the GOP is hurting right now, we shouldn’t expect that to change.

HD118 is a -2.7 Trump district, further showing that Lujan is a mistake for the Southside of Bexar County.

Trump is at risk of losing significant ground in Texas. Although his legal troubles and the fractures within the Republican Party currently give us many unknowns, we do have some knowledge.

Other than the Rio Grande Valley, nowhere in Texas is moving to the right or at risk of becoming more Conservative. Even in the RGV, some of that data is iffy, and most rely on low voter turnout.

If Bexar County can manage a 60% voter turnout in November, I believe HD118 will be in the bag. In 2020, Bexar saw a 64% voter turnout. So, it’s doable.

Moreover, Kristian Carranza’s community-organizing background should go a long way in her efforts to flip this seat.

What will it take for Kristian Carranza to win HD118?

All we need for HD118 is for the Democrats in this district to make it to the polls in November. The upcoming 2024 election presents a crucial opportunity for the voters of HD118 to make their voices heard. With a higher voter turnout expected in this presidential election year, the momentum is on the side of change.

Kristian Carranza's candidacy is not just about winning a seat in the Texas House; it's about bringing real, meaningful change to House District 118. It's about standing up for working families, ensuring equitable access to education and healthcare, and creating a future where everyone in the district can thrive. With the community's support and a strong voter turnout, Kristian Carranza can and will make a difference.

You can learn more about Kristian Carranza on her website, Facebook, Twitter, or Instagram.

Vote early, vote often, just vote.