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Texas' 28th Congressional District election, 2024 (March 5 Republican primary)

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Texas' 28th Congressional District
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Democratic primary
Republican primary
Republican primary runoff
General election
Election details
Filing deadline: December 11, 2023
Primary: March 5, 2024
Primary runoff: May 28, 2024
General: November 5, 2024
How to vote
Poll times: 7 a.m. to 7 p.m.
Voting in Texas
Race ratings
Cook Political Report: Likely Democratic
DDHQ and The Hill: Likely Democratic
Inside Elections: Likely Democratic
Sabato's Crystal Ball: Lean Democratic
Ballotpedia analysis
U.S. Senate battlegrounds
U.S. House battlegrounds
Federal and state primary competitiveness
Ballotpedia's Election Analysis Hub, 2024
See also
Texas' 28th Congressional District
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Texas elections, 2024
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A Republican Party primary took place on March 5, 2024, in Texas' 28th Congressional District to determine which Republican candidate would run in the district's general election on November 5, 2024.

Jay Furman and Lazaro Garza Jr. advanced from the Republican primary for U.S. House Texas District 28.

All 435 seats were up for election. At the time of the election, Republicans had a 220 to 212 majority with three vacancies.[1] As of June 2024, 45 members of the U.S. House had announced they were not running for re-election. To read more about the U.S. House elections taking place this year, click here.

In the 2022 election in this district, the Democratic candidate won 56.7%-43.3%. Daily Kos calculated what the results of the 2020 presidential election in this district would have been following redistricting. Joe Biden (D) would have defeated Donald Trump (R) 52.9%-45.9%.[2]

Candidate filing deadline Primary election General election
December 11, 2023
March 5, 2024
November 5, 2024


A primary election is an election in which registered voters select a candidate that they believe should be a political party's candidate for elected office to run in the general election. They are also used to choose convention delegates and party leaders. Primaries are state-level and local-level elections that take place prior to a general election. Texas utilizes an open primary system. State law requires voters to sign the following pledge before voting in a primary: "I am a (insert appropriate political party) and understand that I am ineligible to vote or participate in another political party's primary election or convention during this voting year."[3]

For information about which offices are nominated via primary election, see this article.

This page focuses on Texas' 28th Congressional District Republican primary. For more in-depth information on the district's Democratic primary and the general election, see the following pages:

Candidates and election results

Republican primary election

Republican primary for U.S. House Texas District 28

Jay Furman and Lazaro Garza Jr. advanced to a runoff. They defeated Jose Sanz and Jimmy León in the Republican primary for U.S. House Texas District 28 on March 5, 2024.

Candidate
%
Votes
✔
Image of Jay Furman
Jay Furman
 
44.8
 
12,036
✔
Image of Lazaro Garza Jr.
Lazaro Garza Jr. Candidate Connection
 
27.1
 
7,283
Image of Jose Sanz
Jose Sanz Candidate Connection
 
20.5
 
5,502
Image of Jimmy León
Jimmy León Candidate Connection
 
7.5
 
2,021

There were no incumbents in this race. The results have been certified. Source

Total votes: 26,842
Candidate Connection = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey.

Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team.

Withdrawn or disqualified candidates

Candidate profiles

This section includes candidate profiles that may be created in one of two ways: either the candidate completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey, or Ballotpedia staff may compile a profile based on campaign websites, advertisements, and public statements after identifying the candidate as noteworthy. For more on how we select candidates to include, click here.

Jay Furman

Image of Jay Furman

WebsiteFacebookTwitterYouTube

Party: Republican Party

Incumbent: No

Political Office: None

Biography:  Furman obtained a bachelor's degree from Texas A&M University and a master's degree from the Naval Postgraduate School. Furman served 28 years in the U.S. Navy as a naval aviator and foreign area officer.


Key Messages

The following key messages were curated by Ballotpedia staff. For more on how we identify key messages, click here.

Furman said he was running because after retiring from the Navy and returning to Texas, he was "shocked by our fake borders, lost freedoms, and sky-rocketing prices...causing problems that are clear and present dangers to South Texan’s safety, freedom, and survival – for generations to come."

Furman said Cuellar supported a political agenda that the majority of the district opposed, including "fake borders, gender madness, a weakened military, sky-high prices, energy dependence, another foreign war, arrested political enemies, spying on the American public and Church, giving up our gun rights."

Furman said Texas was in crisis: "As in 1836, when the first Tejanos and Texians stood side by side in the struggle to create the Republic of Texas, it is once again time for Texans of every heritage to hold the line and defend this land from all enemies, foreign and domestic. We must not fail because, right now, Texas has become America’s Alamo."

Show sources

Sources: Jay Furman 2024 campaign website, "About," accessed July 17, 2024; Jay Furman 2024 campaign website, "About," accessed July 17, 2024; LinkedIn, "Jay Furman," accessed July 17, 2024

This information was current as of the candidate's run for U.S. House Texas District 28 in 2024.

Lazaro Garza Jr.

Image of Lazaro Garza Jr.

WebsiteFacebook

Party: Republican Party

Incumbent: No

Political Office: None

Submitted Biography:  "Lazaro Garza, a successful entrepreneur in the oil industry since 1979, is also an accomplished rancher and farmer in South Texas. With a deep belief in the strength of our nation, Lazaro is deeply concerned about the ineffective policies and lack of strong leadership in District 28. He sees these issues as a grave threat to both the district and our great state of Texas. As a result, Lazaro has decided to run for Congress. He firmly believes that the current state of immigration poses a significant risk to our way of life, calling it an invasion. As a rancher, Lazaro has personally witnessed the challenges that plague our borders. If elected, Lazaro is committed to taking a firm stance and ensuring the security of our borders. He will tirelessly advocate for the rights of ranchers living along the borders, promote the implementation of ethical law enforcement policies, and make a resolute commitment to combating drug and human trafficking along the border and across the nation."

Key Messages

To read this candidate's full survey responses, click here.

Secure the borders

Protect the rights of ranchers

Economic re-investment into the District

This information was current as of the candidate's run for U.S. House Texas District 28 in 2024.

Jimmy León

Image of Jimmy León

Party: Republican Party

Incumbent: No

Political Office: None

Submitted Biography:  "2022 Republican Nominee for U.S. Congress, VFW Life Member, American Legion Division 2 Legislative Chair, Network of Mexican American Inventors and Entrepreneurs-Co Founder, American GI Forum Member, Graduated from American Preparatory Institute Killeen, Texas, served in the U.S. ARMY from 1981-1984 and reached the rank of Administrative Specialist 4 (promotable to Sergeant if Re-Enlisted) An injury ended his military career, he was a candidate for the University of Kentucky Patterson Graduate School of Diplomacy and International Commerce. Attended the University of Houston-Central and UK History Major, Certified Administrative Specialist, Security Academy of Texas-Officer Training, Past U.S. Census Officer with Secret Clearance. Blue Ribbon Award in High School for World History."

Key Messages

To read this candidate's full survey responses, click here.

America First, No to Endless Wars. Lets Fix America's Infrastructure First!

BORDER SECURITY is a National Emergency!

Energy Independence is a National Security Issue, I Strongly Support Texas Oil & Gas.

This information was current as of the candidate's run for U.S. House Texas District 28 in 2024.

Jose Sanz

Image of Jose Sanz

WebsiteFacebookTwitter

Party: Republican Party

Incumbent: No

Political Office: None

Submitted Biography:  "I come for a very loving and supportive family. My family is everything to me, and I would not be anything without them. I like to think that I decided to run for Congress to fight for my "big" family, that is, the people of Texas-28. Texas is my home, I love Texas, and I love my neighbors. I can not stand the feeling that comes with knowing that the families in my district deserve better. They deserve someone who has a real commitment to them, someone willing to put their reputation on the line to fight for their interests. With my experience and background, together with the constituents of Texas-28, we can deliver real change for our communities. During my time working in the district at the federal level, I gained valuable insights that will allow me to be effective in Congress from day one. I know what the needs and opportunities are across my district and I know what needs to be done to ensure that our families can prosper. Above all, is my character. I pride myself in saying what I mean, and meaning what I say. That is why I will be a strong, reliable voice for all of South Texas. I will also be someone who can be held accountable. Many run for Congress as a ticket into politics, a ticket into power. I am doing this because I care about my community, and after my time in government, I feel a strong sense of duty and responsibility to the families of Texas-28 and to our future generations. I want to fight for our country. I want to fight for you."

Key Messages

To read this candidate's full survey responses, click here.

We need to stop illegal immigration. Yes, our country was built on immigration. I am an immigrant myself, and proud of it. However, illegal immigration will destroy our county if we do not stop it. Our local infrastructure can not handle the mass waves of illegals that continuously pour into our cities. We do not have the services or shelters to be able to accommodate these folks. This stress on infrastructure is draining taxpayer funds that are more important elsewhere. The American people should not have to pay for our government's failed policies. Lastly, it used to be hard-working families that would cross illegally in hopes of finding a better life. Now, radicals are coming in at a record pace and we do not know their intentions.

Fix our economy. While some claim that our economy is doing great, the truth is, families are struggling to pay their bills, to by groceries, or even send their little ones to daycare. Younger people continue to get laid off and are struggling to find jobs. Bad economic policies have fueled inflation, putting a heavy economic burden on middle class families. We need to stop spending money we do not have. We need to bring more jobs back to America, increase domestic energy production, and eliminate regulations hindering our producers and farmers. If we do not balance our budget now, our future generations will pay the price for it. We must ignite the most powerful economy in the world and ensure the future and independence of our nation.

Protect our values, freedoms, and our Constitution. Life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. I want to protect the family values that South Texas was built on, and I truly believe we must take a strong stand against anyone or anything that tries to undermine them. We need to keep males out of women's sports. We need to keep radical, extreme ideologies away from our schools. And we need to protect the nucleus of the family. Only by protecting our values and constitution, will America remain a free nation for all.

This information was current as of the candidate's run for U.S. House Texas District 28 in 2024.

Voting information

See also: Voting in Texas

Election information in Texas: March 5, 2024, election.

What was the voter registration deadline?

  • In-person: Feb. 5, 2024
  • By mail: Postmarked by Feb. 5, 2024
  • Online: N/A

Was absentee/mail-in voting available to all voters?

No

What was the absentee/mail-in ballot request deadline?

  • In-person: Feb. 23, 2024
  • By mail: Received by Feb. 23, 2024
  • Online: Feb. 23, 2024

What was the absentee/mail-in ballot return deadline?

  • In-person: March 5, 2024
  • By mail: Postmarked by March 5, 2024

Was early voting available to all voters?

N/A

What were the early voting start and end dates?

Feb. 20, 2024 to March 1, 2024

Were all voters required to present ID at the polls? If so, was a photo or non-photo ID required?

N/A

When were polls open on Election Day?

7:00 a.m. - 7:00 p.m. (CST/MST)


Campaign finance

Name Party Receipts* Disbursements** Cash on hand Date
Jay Furman Republican Party $780,704 $775,782 $4,922 As of December 31, 2024
Lazaro Garza Jr. Republican Party $297,652 $297,652 $0 As of September 30, 2024
Jimmy León Republican Party $0 $0 $0 Data not available***
Jose Sanz Republican Party $28,748 $12,822 $16,026 As of February 14, 2024

Source: Federal Elections Commission, "Campaign finance data," 2024. This product uses the openFEC API but is not endorsed or certified by the Federal Election Commission (FEC).

* According to the FEC, "Receipts are anything of value (money, goods, services or property) received by a political committee."
** According to the FEC, a disbursement "is a purchase, payment, distribution, loan, advance, deposit or gift of money or anything of value to influence a federal election," plus other kinds of payments not made to influence a federal election.
*** Candidate either did not report any receipts or disbursements to the FEC, or Ballotpedia did not find an FEC candidate ID.

District analysis

Click the tabs below to view information about voter composition, past elections, and demographics in both the district and the state.

  • District map - A map of the district in place for the election.
  • Competitiveness - Information about the competitiveness of 2024 U.S. House elections in the state.
  • Presidential elections - Information about presidential elections in the district and the state.
  • State party control - The partisan makeup of the state's congressional delegation and state government.


Below was the map in use at the time of the election. Click the map below to enlarge it.

2023_01_03_tx_congressional_district_028.jpg
See also: Primary election competitiveness in state and federal government, 2024

This section contains data on U.S. House primary election competitiveness in Texas.

Texas U.S. House competitiveness, 2014-2024
Year Districts/
offices 		Seats Open seats Candidates Possible primaries Contested Democratic primaries Contested Republican primaries % of contested primaries Incumbents in contested primaries % of incumbents in contested primaries
2024 38 38 3 160 76 16 23 51.3% 19 54.3%
2022 38 38 6 222 76 17 27 57.9% 19 59.4%
2020 36 36 6 231 72 24 26 69.4% 18 60.0%
2018 36 36 8 212 72 25 21 63.9% 15 53.6%
2016 36 36 2 127 72 13 20 45.8% 19 55.9%
2014 36 36 1 100 72 6 13 26.4% 12 34.3%

Post-filing deadline analysis

The following analysis covers all U.S. House districts up for election in Texas in 2024. Information below was calculated on 1/29/2024, and may differ from information shown in the table above due to candidate replacements and withdrawals after that time.

In 2024, 164 candidates filed to run for Texas’ 38 U.S. House districts, including 63 Democrats and 101 Republicans. That was 4.3 candidates per district, the lowest number since 2016, when 3.5 candidates ran.

In 2022, the first election after the number of congressional districts in Texas increased from 36 to 38, 5.8 candidates ran per district. In 2020, 6.4 candidates ran, and 5.8 candidates ran in 2018.

The 164 candidates who ran in 2024 were also the fewest total number to run since 2016, when 127 candidates ran. One hundred candidates ran for Texas’ then-36 districts in 2014, the fewest in the decade, while 231 ran in 2020, the decade-high.

Three seats were open. That was the fewest since 2016, when two seats were open. Six seats were open in 2022 and 2020, and eight were in 2018—the decade-high.

Reps. Kay Granger (R-12th) and Michael Burgess (R-26th) retired from public office. Rep. Colin Allred (D-32nd) didn't seek re-election in order to run for the U.S. Senate. Fourteen candidates—10 Democrats and 4 Republicans—ran for the open 32nd district, the most candidates who ran for a seat in 2024.

Thirty-nine primaries—16 Democratic and 23 Republican—were contested this year. That was the fewest since 2016, when 33 were contested. There were 44 contested primaries in 2022, 50 in 2020, and 46 in 2018.

Nineteen incumbents—six Democrats and thirteen Republicans—faced primary challengers this year. That was the same number as 2022, and one more than in 2020.

Three districts—the 9th, the 20th, and the 30th—were guaranteed to Democrats because no Republicans filed to run. Five were guaranteed to Republicans because no Democrats filed to run—the 1st, the 11th, the 13th, the 19th, and the 25th.


Partisan Voter Index

See also: The Cook Political Report's Partisan Voter Index

Heading into the 2024 elections, based on results from the 2020 and 2016 presidential elections, the Cook Partisan Voter Index for this district was D+3. This meant that in those two presidential elections, this district's results were 3 percentage points more Democratic than the national average. This made Texas' 28th the 183rd most Democratic district nationally.[4]

2020 presidential election results

The table below shows what the vote in the 2020 presidential election would have been in this district. The presidential election data was compiled by Daily Kos.

2020 presidential results in Texas' 28th based on 2024 district lines
Joe Biden Democratic Party Donald Trump Republican Party
52.9% 45.9%

Inside Elections Baselines

See also: Inside Elections

Inside Elections' Baseline is a figure that analyzes all federal and statewide election results from the district over the past four election cycles. The results are combined in an index estimating the strength of a typical Democratic or Republican candidate in the congressional district.[5] The table below displays the Baseline data for this district.

Inside Elections Baseline for 2024
Democratic Baseline Democratic Party Republican Baseline Republican Party Difference
54.8 42.4 R+12.4

Presidential voting history

See also: Presidential election in Texas, 2020

Texas presidential election results (1900-2020)

  • 16 Democratic wins
  • 15 Republican wins
Year 1900 1904 1908 1912 1916 1920 1924 1928 1932 1936 1940 1944 1948 1952 1956 1960 1964 1968 1972 1976 1980 1984 1988 1992 1996 2000 2004 2008 2012 2016 2020
Winning Party D D D D D D D R D D D D D R R D D D R D R R R R R R R R R R R
See also: Party control of Texas state government

Congressional delegation

The table below displays the partisan composition of Texas' congressional delegation as of May 2024.

Congressional Partisan Breakdown from Texas
Party U.S. Senate U.S. House Total
Democratic 0 12 12
Republican 2 25 27
Independent 0 0 0
Vacancies 0 1 1
Total 2 38 40

State executive

The table below displays the officeholders in Texas' top four state executive offices as of May 2024.

State executive officials in Texas, May 2024
Office Officeholder
Governor Republican Party Greg Abbott
Lieutenant Governor Republican Party Dan Patrick
Secretary of State Republican Party Jane Nelson
Attorney General Republican Party Ken Paxton

State legislature

Texas State Senate

Party As of February 2024
     Democratic Party 11
     Republican Party 19
     Other 0
     Vacancies 1
Total 31

Texas House of Representatives

Party As of February 2024
     Democratic Party 64
     Republican Party 86
     Other 0
     Vacancies 0
Total 150

Trifecta control

The table below shows the state's trifecta status from 1992 until the 2024 election.

Texas Party Control: 1992-2024
Three years of Democratic trifectas  •  Twenty-two years of Republican trifectas
Scroll left and right on the table below to view more years.

Year 92 93 94 95 96 97 98 99 00 01 02 03 04 05 06 07 08 09 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24
Governor D D D R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R
Senate D D D D D R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R
House D D D D D D D D D D D R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R

Ballot access

The table below details filing requirements for U.S. House candidates in Texas in the 2024 election cycle. For additional information on candidate ballot access requirements in Texas, click here.

Filing requirements for U.S. House candidates, 2024
State Office Party Signatures required Filing fee Filing deadline Source
Texas U.S. House Democratic or Republican 2% of votes cast for governor in the district in the last election, or 500, whichever is less $3,125.00 12/11/2023 Source
Texas U.S. House Unaffiliated 5% of all votes cast for governor in the district in the last election, or 500, whichever is less N/A 12/11/2023 Source

See also

External links

Footnotes

  1. ↑ A majority in the U.S. House when there are no vacancies is 218 seats.
  2. ↑ Daily Kos, "Daily Kos Elections' 2020 presidential results by congressional district, for new and old districts," accessed September 15, 2022
  3. ↑ Texas Constitution and Statutes, "Tex. Election Code Ann. § 172.086," accessed September 16, 2025
  4. ↑ Cook Political Report, "The 2022 Cook Partisan Voting Index (Cook PVI℠)," accessed January 10, 2024
  5. ↑ Inside Elections, "Methodology: Inside Elections’ Baseline by Congressional District," December 8, 2023


Texas' current delegation to the United States Congress
Senators
John Cornyn (R)
Ted Cruz (R)
Representatives
District 1
District 2
District 3
District 4
District 5
District 6
District 7
District 8
District 9
Al Green (D)
District 10
District 11
District 12
District 13
District 14
District 15
District 16
District 17
District 18
Vacant
District 19
District 20
District 21
Chip Roy (R)
District 22
District 23
District 24
District 25
District 26
District 27
District 28
District 29
District 30
District 31
District 32
District 33
District 34
District 35
District 36
District 37
District 38
Republican Party (27)
Democratic Party (12)
Vacancies (1)


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