Trump endorses Texas congressional candidate accused of abusive behavior toward her estranged husband’s daughter
In October, De La Cruz was accused in court documents by her estranged husband, Johnny Hernandez, of “cruel and aggressive conduct” toward his 14-year-old daughter, including verbal abuse and pinching the child to stop her from crying.
Last month, a Texas judge ruled that De La Cruz must continue living away from her family home until after the March 1 primary, following a contentious court hearing with Hernandez. The couple, who have been married since 2015 and have no biological children of their own, is in the midst of an acrimonious separation process.
In a statement to The Washington Post last year, De Le Cruz denied Hernandez’s allegations, saying, “I’m heartbroken that as we work through some mental health issues that involve a minor this deeply personal matter is now being exposed in the national press.”
Trump’s statement did not reference the allegations by Hernandez, who has been touted by House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.) as a “young gun,” a designation given by the party to candidates who “have met a series of rigorous goals and surpassed program benchmarks to establish a clear path to victory.”
De La Cruz ran against Rep. Vicente Gonzalez (D-Tex.) in the 2020 cycle, coming about three percentage points short of victory.
Gonzalez has since announced that he will compete in 2022 in a neighboring congressional district, placing De La Cruz in contention for a key pickup opportunity for her party.
Despite the support of national Republicans, De La Cruz faces a challenge in the GOP primary from Mauro Garza, an area business executive, and Ryan Krause, who ran against her in the primary in 2020.
