South Texas' congressional district turns republican for the first time as the party continues to gain ground among Latino voters
Mayra Flores, who promoted her conservative goodwill during the election campaign. Photograph: Veronica Cardenas/Reuters
The South Texas congressional district will represent a Republican for the first time after a special election on Tuesday. The election of Mayra Flores, who edged her Democratic opponent 51% to 43%, comes as Republicans continue to make gains among Latino voters in South Texas.
Flores, who will be the first Latin Republican to serve Texas in Congress, is expected to face a tougher race in November. Her victory was to replace Democrat Philemon Villa, who retired before his term expired, meaning she was elected to serve others.
In the general election in November, voters will decide who will be the district's permanent representative to Congress from 2022. Flores, who is running for that seat in the general election, will face Democratic candidate Vicente Gonzalez.
Gonzalez now serves as the district's representative in Congress. Flores must be defeated in the elections.
Flores' victory comes as Republicans ramp up their efforts to woo Latino voters and amid a slew of polls and elections showing a broader shift among Latino Democratic voters.
“If you look at things like the local elections in Texas, the elections in New Jersey, the elections in Nassau County, the elections in Virginia, they all indicate that not only are Hispanics coming back, but they are still relatively more Republican than they used to be,” said David Shore, Political Data Analyst for the Left, for Yahoo News.
In fact, Flores cemented his conservative goodwill during his election campaign. He invoked elements of Trump's rhetoric and relied heavily on the trappings of law and order to describe his trip.
Flores, a respiratory care worker, was born in Mexico. On her website, Flores boasts that her parents and grandparents "raised her with strong conservative values and always put God and family first."
She explained that her immigration to the United States at the age of six was "legal" and with the help of her father...she gave her family the greatest gift, the gift of becoming a proud and naturalized American citizen.
Flores also voiced support for "America First," a rare right-wing appeal to those who feel neglected by politicians. He claimed his district had to "beg for quotes from Nancy Pelosi" for too long, and said that "for more than 100 years, the Democratic Party has enjoyed the loyalty and support that South Texas has given them over the decades."
"They do nothing to win our vote or our support," Flores also said on his campaign website. He also criticized President Joe Biden for claiming he signed a "record number of executive orders to kill jobs in Texas, weaken border security and remove fetus protections."
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