(Republican Leader) – Republican Mayra Flores, who just so happens to be a first-time candidate for elected office, has scored a major victory in the special election in the 34th District in Texas, which will enable her to finish off the term of former Democratic Rep. Filemon Vela, who stepped down from his post in March.
This is a huge victory for the Republican Party, as it demonstrates they are starting to make in-roads in expanding their voter base in the Hispanic demographic, which is a key group of individuals to have in order to win big against the Democratic Party.
According to a report from The Daily Caller, “With more than 70% of votes counted, Flores held 51% support, and Democrat Dan Sanchez garnered 43.5%. Despite the presence of two other candidates on the ballot, one Democrat and one Republican, Flores was able to avoid a run-off. Several elections analysts called the race shortly after 10:00 p.m. (eastern time).”
“The special election was spurred on by Vela’s resignation on March 31. The five-term moderate had announced in March 2021 that he would not seek re-election in 2022, and left the lower chamber on March 31 to take a job at the Washington, DC-based corporate law firm Akin Gump,” the report continued. “Vela won re-election by 13.6% in 2020, and Joe Biden won the district by four points.”
I've seen enough: Mayra Flores (R) defeats Dan Sanchez (D) in the #TX34 special election, flipping an 84% Hispanic Rio Grande Valley seat red.
— Dave Wasserman (@Redistrict) June 15, 2022
Flores, who got a glowing endorsement from Elise Stefanik, the House GOP Conference Chairwoman, along with Texas Gov. Greg Abbott, won the primary back on March 1 that allowed her to run in the November general election against Democratic Rep. Vicente Gonzalez. Gonzalez is attempting to change up districts from the 15th, which was recently redistricted into a toss-up seat.
The new 34th District would then lean 17 points in favor of the Democrats, according to the report.
“Elected Democrats and party strategists have repeatedly expressed concern that Hispanic and Latino voters are swinging towards the Republican Party. Biden’s approval rating with Hispanic and Latino voters sits in the mid-20s, several recent polls have shown, the worst of any ethnic group. The 34th District is 85% Hispanic, the U.S. Census found in 2020, one of the most Hispanic congressional seats in the country,” The Daily Caller reported.
The Republican National Committee, along with GOP members of Congress have been working hard to expand outreach in Hispanic and Latino communities, showing them that the values held to by conservatives better align with their interests than those of Democrats.
House Republicans recently announced the Hispanic Leadership Trust in May. Co-chairman and Texas Congressman Tony Gonzalez stumped for Flores on the campaign trail. The RNC has also opened up several Hispanic outreach centers located in South Texas since 2021.
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