Townhall has been contacted by a Texas Republican Party official who revealed that U.S. House candidate John Lujan, a Republican running in Texas’ 35th District, attempted to cover-up the background of a radical Democrat activist working in a senior position on his campaign.
Following our exclusive reporting over his hiring of a far-left political operative, this official, who spoke with Townhall on the condition of anonymity, had met with Lujan where the pair discussed his employment of the Democrat operative Leticia Cantu as his campaign's "chief strategist."
Cantu’s website, which was deleted just days after our initial report, revealed that Cantu served as Lujan’s “chief strategist” and received thousands of dollars in payouts over a number of years. Her other notable clients were the Castro brothers, San Antonio’s most progressive political duo. Cantu has served as a campaign manager for Julian Castro and a “trusted consultant” for Joaquin, according to her biography.
“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 told Townhall.
“I met with John, face-to-face, and confronted him about the allegation,” the official continued. “He categorically denied that Ms. Cantu was a Democrat and claimed she had been a Republican for years and that she had been with him since the beginning of his political career. He furthermore stated that she had not worked for any Democrats in the past 7 to 8 years.”
Despite her history of advancing the political careers of some of the most virulent leftists in the country, Lujan had personally reassured the official that Cantu was not a Democrat. Her voting record tells a different story, however. Records of her primary voting habits acquired by Townhall reveal that Cantu had repeatedly voted in Democrat primaries, all the way up until 2024.
“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 said. “I asked him if she had at least voted in this year's Republican Primary and his response was `she'd better, because she was working for me.`"
Lujan has been no stranger to leftist policies himself. Earlier this year, Lujan proposed that a pathway to citizenship should be opened up for illegal immigrants "that have been great citizens" in an agenda similar to Rep. Maria Salazar's Dignity Act amnesty. He's also rubbed shoulders with the notorious Dade Phelan, the establishment prince of Texas who has long butted heads with President Donald Trump.
"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 told Townhall. "Clearly that Democrat thought she could influence John and, unfortunately, based on John's voting record, I would have to concede that the Democrat was right."
The Texas primary run-off election will take place on May 26 where Lujan will take on Trump-endorsed Carlos de la Cruz.