A Texas GOP official says U.S. House candidate John Lujan tried to obscure the partisan past of campaign chief strategist Leticia Cantu, whose deleted website and voting record suggest long ties to prominent Democrats.
A Texas Republican Party official, speaking on the condition of anonymity, told Townhall that John Lujan sought to minimize or hide the background of a senior staffer after questions arose about her partisan history. The official said the staffer, Leticia Cantu, was listed as Lujan’s “chief strategist” and had been paid thousands over several years, according to materials that disappeared soon after scrutiny. Those details triggered a face-to-face meeting where the official pressed Lujan directly about Cantu’s past work for Democratic figures.
Records and archived material showed Cantu’s ties to the Castro brothers, and her biography described roles ranging from campaign manager to consultant for high-profile Democrats. The campaign materials that named her vanished days after they were first examined, a move the official found suspicious. The deletion fed concerns that her political affiliations were being downplayed to voters and party operatives.
“I’ve known and supported John Lujan for years, but when I read that his campaign manager is Leticia Cantu, a well-known Democratic party activist who has been a longtime advisor and campaign operator for the far-left Castro brothers, I became deeply alarmed,” the official said, repeating the phrasing used in the original account. That alarm led the official to confront Lujan in person and demand answers about the campaign hire. The official described the meeting as direct and pointed.
According to the official, Lujan denied Cantu’s Democratic ties and insisted she had been a Republican for years and had worked with him since the start of his political career. “I met with John, face-to-face, and confronted him about the allegation,” the official said, noting Lujan’s emphatic denial. Lujan reportedly added that Cantu had not worked for Democrats within the last seven to eight years, a claim that did not match other available evidence.
Voting records obtained by the official show Cantu voting in Democratic primaries repeatedly, most recently through 2024, which counters the campaign’s public position on her partisan status. Those primary votes indicate long-standing participation in Democratic contests rather than a move to Republican affiliation. The discrepancy between Lujan’s statements and the voting history raised red flags for party insiders.
When the official asked if Cantu had formally switched parties or taken steps like voting in a Republican primary, Lujan said he did not know and suggested she would vote Republican while on his payroll. “I asked if she had ever made a formal party switch by either taking an official party-switch oath or voting in a Republican Primary, and he said that he didn’t know,” the official recounted. Lujan reportedly added that “she’d better, because she was working for me.”
The presence of a Democratic operative in a senior role on a Republican campaign prompted broader questions about judgment and influence. The official suggested the hire might have been intended to curry favor or to leverage relationships with progressive networks. Party members worried that a strategist with deep Democratic connections could shape messaging, staffing, and priorities in ways that clash with local conservative voters.
Lujan himself has staked out positions that some conservatives view as conciliatory toward immigration policy, including advocating for a pathway for undocumented residents he described as “that have been great citizens.” Those positions, combined with the campaign staffing controversy, have intensified scrutiny from grassroots activists and leaders who prioritize strict stances on border and enforcement issues. Critics point to these policy moves as further evidence that Lujan may be aligned with establishment or moderate currents in Texas politics.
The anonymous official framed the situation as less about a single staff hire and more about broader questions of loyalty and influence. “People have asked me why in the world John would hire a Democrat, but I think the real question is why a Democrat would want to help a Republican into office,” the official said, using the exact language reported. The official went on to argue that the Democrat likely believed she could sway Lujan, and that past voting and policy choices give that conclusion weight.
On the calendar, the Texas primary run-off is set for May 26, when Lujan will face Trump-endorsed Carlos de la Cruz in a contest that will test both candidates’ conservative credentials. The runoff has become a focal point for activists and donors who see the result as a signal about the party’s direction in the district. Voters will weigh Lujan’s staffing choices and policy history against de la Cruz’s Trump backing as they choose who represents them in the general election.
Internally, party operatives say the episode reflects a larger tension between establishment figures and the party’s more conservative base, with staffing decisions serving as a proxy for those battles. Some Republicans argue that allowing Democratic operatives into senior roles risks diluting message discipline and alienating voters who expect firmness on key issues. Others counter that campaign experience, regardless of past affiliations, can be valuable if aligned to local priorities.
For now, the staffer’s deleted web footprint, the voting records, and the official’s account have all combined to produce an unusually public dispute inside a GOP primary. That dispute has sharpened attention on candidate vetting and the need for clear answers about loyalties and past work. With the runoff approaching, the controversy is likely to stay part of the conversation among voters and party actors across the district.
