House Democratic leaders condemn Texas candidate for antisemitic comments

2026 ElectionHouse Democratic leaders condemn Texas candidate for antisemitic commentsA secretive outside group has spent significantly on boosting the Democrat in a district that could be competitive this fall — drawing accusations that the effort is funded by Republicans.Listen to this article with a free account00:0000:00Maureen Galindo, a Democratic House candidate in Texas, faces backlash from both parties over antisemitic comments.Katina Zentz / San Antonio Express-News via Getty ImagesShareAdd NBC News to GoogleMay 19, 2026, 9:51 PM EDTBy Ben KamisarTop House Democrats are condemning a Texas Democratic candidate days after she took to social media to say she’d turn an immigration detention center into a “prison for American Zionists” if she won. Subscribe to read this story ad-free Get unlimited access to ad-free articles and exclusive content.Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries of New York and Rep. Suzan DelBene of Washington, who heads the House Democrats’ campaign arm, lambasted Maureen Galindo as her past comments gained steam on social media. “This vile language by her is disqualifying and has no place in American politics, and certainly not in the Democratic Party,” the two Democrats said in a statement released Tuesday night. Galindo, a therapist, finished with the most votes in the March primary in the Democratic primary for Texas’ 35th Congressional District, a new district that state Republican lawmakers drew to be friendlier to the GOP this fall. She’s running in a runoff against Johnny Garcia, who previously worked in the Bexar County Sheriff’s Office. Galindo has made a string of controversial comments during her campaign. She wrote last week on Instagram that she’d turn an Immigration and Customs Enforcement detention center “into a prison for American Zionists and former ICE officers for human trafficking,” going on to claim that many Zionists are “pedophiles.” Galindo didn’t reply to a request for comment. Jeffries and DelBene also referred to the...