Kristian Carranza
Bexar County GOP officials said they may file a lawsuit against Texas House District 118 candidate Kristian Carranza, a Democrat, alleging that she changed her last name from Thompson to appeal to voters on the city’s largely Latino South Side.
Carranza is running against Republican incumbent Texas Rep. John Lujan, who’s represented the district since 2021. A political newcomer, Carranza won the Democratic primary against Carlos Quezada in May, securing 63% of the vote. Since then, she’s been running an aggressive ground campaign, knocking on doors and attenting community events.
The Bexar County GOP’s move comes as Carranza continues to make gains in the tightly contested race for a district Democrats hope to flip. District 118 has traditionally leaned blue.
During a Tuesday press conference in front of Bexar County Courthouse, county Republican Chairwoman Kris Coons argued that her party’s potential legal action isn’t about trying to protect Lujan’s seat but to shield voters from Carranza’s “youthful deception.”
“We believe that [her last name] was changed, possibly, you know, to have a beautiful Hispanic last name in a beautiful Hispanic district to influence voters,” Coons said.
Carranza was born Kristian Kelly Renee Thompson. However, she legally changed her last name from Thompson to Carranza, her mother’s maiden name, in January 2023 — nine months before the candidate registration deadline, according to documents filed with the state.
In a statement, Carranza maintains that she changed her last name to her mother’s maiden name because she’s estranged from her father.
“I take my last name from my single mother who raised me, not my absent father,” Carranza said. “My mom and grandmother raised me on the Southside [sic] — and I’m incredibly proud of my family’s story.”
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A notice the Bexar County GOP sent to the media on Monday announcing its press conference said the party “intends to pursue a lawsuit” against Carranza. However, Coons admitted during Tuesday’s event that attorneys hadn’t yet done so. Lawyers will “be reviewing [the facts] and consider filing,” she added.
What’s more, Coons couldn’t elaborate on what law Carranza allegedly broke when she changed her name.
“I’ll let our lawyers tell you that, my friend,” Coons told reporters.
I Am Not A Lawyer, but I can tell you, my friend, that there is no law that Candidate Carranza has violated. This is her legal name. Even if it weren’t, Texas law is generally pretty lenient about what you can call yourself on a ballot, the occasional Grandma Strayhorn situations excepted. For example, if “Carranza” were her husband’s name, she could almost certainly use it on the ballot or not whether she had legally taken it or not. The GOP is welcome to make a campaign issue out of this – and for sure that’s what they’re doing here, to try to protect an endangered incumbent from a well-resourced opponent – but an actual lawsuit would be laughed out of court. Thanks for the giggle, y’all. The Trib has more.