Mayra Flores’ historic victory Tuesday night represents the first time a Republican has flipped a majority-Hispanic Democratic seat in the Rio Grande Valley in over 100 years. Flores will become the next member of Congress from the 34th district in Texas and will be the first woman born in Mexico elected to the U.S. House of Representatives.
Texas’ 34th congressional district currently has the second largest Hispanic population (84.5%) of any district in America. Former Democratic Congressman Filemon Vela won the 34th district by 13 points in 2020. Joe Biden won TX-34 by 4.2% in 2020, Hillary Clinton won by 21.5% in 2016, and Barack Obama won by 22.1% in 2012.
Flores’ win is a testament to her character, work ethic, and family values. Convergence was honored to help tell her unique story and proud to have played a part in her historic victory.
What they’re saying:
“After winning Tuesday’s special election in Texas, Mayra Flores will soon become America’s first Mexican-born Congresswoman—and by the way, she’s a Republican who’s married to a Border Patrol agent. What a great American story, plus another piece of evidence that Democrats won’t win the future on demographics alone.” – WSJ Editorial Board, 6/15/22
“Flores’ special election became a rallying point for local Republicans eager to make more gains later in 2022. Flores had far outraised her fellow special election candidates, plastering the airwaves with TV and digital advertisements in the month leading up to Tuesday’s vote. Many ads focused on her marriage to a Border Patrol agent and her achievement of “the American Dream.” Others criticized Biden for not controlling the border.” – “Meet Mayra Flores, the newly elected Latina Republican from South Texas,” Politico, 6/15/22
“Family was a big part of Flores’ messaging, an appeal to a time-worn South Texas value. She regularly talked about being the wife of a U.S. Border Patrol agent and showcased other members of her family, including in a TV commercial exclusively about her dad.” – “How Mayra Flores flipped a Rio Grande Valley congressional seat and gave Republicans hope for a new era in South Texas,” Texas Tribune, 6/15/22
“Less than 24 hours after the GOP flipped a congressional district in South Texas, several Latino Democrats cornered their campaign chief on the House floor with a fervent plea: It’s time for the party to make a crucial course correction.
Republicans blew up more than a century of almost uninterrupted Democratic control in that region Tuesday night, earning a special election win in a heavily Latino border district they had rarely even contested since its creation in 2012 — but where the GOP has made rapid gains in the last few years.” – “Latino Democrats vent their fury after foreboding special election loss in Texas,” Politico, 6/15/22
Watch Mayra Flores’ Latest Ads in English and Spanish Here:
