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The Bexar County GOP claimed that Democrat Kristian Carranza was using a Hispanic surname to gain the support of the predominantly Hispanic population in the San Antonio district. This accusation was made during a highly contested statehouse race and caused a lot of controversy.
During a news conference on Tuesday, Kris Coons, who is the chair of the Bexar County Republican Party, revealed that Carranza had replaced her last name “Thompson” with “Carranza” on a 2023 voter registration application, just a month before filing for the election.
Carranza, formerly known as Thompson, legally changed her name in January 2023; however, she has been using Carranza as her professional name for over ten years.
In the upcoming November elections, Carranza will be competing with state Rep. John Lujan, a Republican from San Antonio, to represent House District 118.
According to Coons, when the individual in question decided to run for office in a predominantly Hispanic district, she changed her name to Carranza. This sudden change has left many residents feeling insulted, as they believe that it was a ploy to gain their support.
State records show that approximately 2/3 of the population residing in House District 118 is of Hispanic descent.
The party initially announced in a press release on Monday that they would be taking legal action against Carranza’s candidacy. However, on Tuesday, Coons revealed that they are still in the process of reviewing a potential lawsuit against Carranza. When asked about the specific law that Carranza violated, Coons did not provide a clear answer.
According to Carranza, the accusation that she changed her name for political gain is yet another example of Texas Republicans showing disrespect towards women. She firmly denied the claim, stating that it is baseless and unfounded.
During an interview with The Texas Tribune, she expressed her opinion on the matter, stating that women in San Antonio, and across the country, change their names for various reasons, and therefore, it’s disrespectful to them.
According to Carranza, the Bexar County GOP is following in the footsteps of former President Donald Trump, who recently raised doubts about Vice President Kamala Harris’ racial identity, suggesting that she identified as Black solely to gain votes.
Carranza believes that the attempt made to undermine her and her story is obvious. She thinks that her opponents can see that the voters of House District 118 are ready for change and someone who will fight for them instead of just standing on the sidelines like the current representative, John Lujan. According to Carranza, her opponents cannot believe that the person who is going to bring the change is a young Latina.
Growing up in the Southside of San Antonio, Carranza was born with her biological father’s surname “Thompson”. However, due to being raised by a single mother without her father’s support, she decided to honor her mother by using her last name instead. In 2022, Carranza initiated the legal process to change her last name, which was finalized in January 2023 as per court records. Come September 2023, she launched her campaign for the state House.
For approximately a decade, she has been using the surname Carranza publicly. During her time as Nevada state director for Julián Castro’s presidential campaign in 2019, she was already known by that name. In addition, Kevin Puleo, one of her superiors during a 2015 Affordable Care Act enrollment campaign, confirmed that her colleagues referred to her as Carranza at that time. On her 2016 resume, she identified herself as “Kristian Carranza Thompson.” Democratic operative Ferguson Yacyshyn, who worked with her on the Hillary Clinton campaign in Florida, also stated that she went by Carranza during that time.
Coons questioned the timing of the name change, which occurred just before the race, after 30 years. “It just seems odd,” she stated.
In response to the accusation made against him, Carranza stated firmly, “My name is Kristian Carranza and, whether people like it or not, I am running to support the families of San Antonio.”
Lujan claimed that Carranza had altered her name for political motives, according to a statement.
Lujan expressed his strong disapproval of name changes for political reasons, stating that it is unacceptable. He emphasized the importance of public figures being accountable to the people they aim to represent. Lujan also reiterated his commitment to transparency and effective representation as the State Representative for District 118. Although Lujan’s opponent will need to address this issue with the voters directly, Lujan remains steadfast in his dedication to upholding the values of transparency and accountability in his political career.
Carranza faced a similar situation during her primary race when her Democratic opponent, Carlos Quezada, used the same voter registration application with her crossed out name on a campaign mailer.
In 2021, Lujan secured his first victory in the House District 118 election, triumphing over Democrat Frank Ramirez by 2.5 percentage points in a special election. This win came after the seat was vacated by Democrat Leo Pacheco. The following year, in 2022, Lujan ran for a full term in office and defeated Ramirez yet again, this time by 3.7 percentage points.
In the upcoming elections, one of the possible seats that could flip for Democrats is the race between Lujan and Carranza. Carranza has shown impressive fundraising skills in her efforts to regain a traditionally Democratic seat. In the last fundraising cycle, which concluded in June, she raised a whopping $264,000 compared to Lujan’s $70,000.
