As Filemon Vela decamped for a lobbyist job, room was made for a predictable Republican victory in the 34th congressional district.
Mayra Flores made history Tuesday night by winning the special election for the 34th congressional district, a Democratic stronghold that stretches from Brownsville up east of San Antonio. In doing so, Flores became the first Latina to ever represent the Rio Grande Valley in Congress and the first Republican to do so since Reconstruction.
National Republicans pumped significant resources into the special election race while the national Democratic party only dipped its toe in. The race was a predictably low-turnout affair with just 7 percent of eligible voters casting a ballot. Democrats took pains to downplay the significance of the special election win. State party chair Gilberto Hinojosa, who is from Brownsville and has faced internal criticism over Dems’ backslide in South Texas, claimed Republicans were only able to snatch the seat with the help of outside dark money and Governor Greg Abbott’s control of the special election date.