After delay, U.S. Rep. Gonzalez sworn in to 118th Congress
After a few days of delay, U.S. Rep. Vicente Gonzalez, D-District 34, was sworn in Saturday as a member of the 118th Congress. Gonzalez returns to Congress for his fourth term after being elected, under new Congressional maps, the newest representative for the 34th Congressional District of Texas. โI am honored and humbled to continue representing the people of South Texas in Washington, D.C.,โ stated Gonzalez in a news release. The district also runs north along U.S. Highway 77 encompassing Edcouch, Elsa, Raymondville, Kingsville. We must also continue to provide for our veterans and seniors and those looking to call America and South Texas home,โ Gonzalez said in the news release.
myrgv.comU.S. Rep. Gonzalez waiting to take oath of office
HARLINGEN โ On Tuesday, U.S. Rep. Vicente Gonzalez was set to take the oath of office as congressional District 34โs new representative. But Republicans continue to wrangle over their selection of the U.S. House of Representativeโs next speaker, leaving his new office in limbo. Without a speaker, (Gonzalez) canโt be sworn in. Until heโs sworn in as District 34โs new representative, Gonzalez said heโs helping District 15โs constituents, too. BackgroundUnder a national spotlight, Gonzalez won more than 50 percent of the vote to defeat Flores in Nov. 8โs general election.
myrgv.comMixed bag: New Congress members should place Valley first
Members of the House of Representatives were still debating who will replace Nancy Pelosi as speaker of the House; once chosen, that person swears in all members and begins the session. For the first time, South Texas will be represented by members of both major political parties. Cuellarโs voting record has even fed speculation that he might switch to the Republican Party himself, although he hasnโt done so. As she ends her short tenure in Congress, Flores has earned the gratitude of the people she has served. A new Congress brings new challenges and new opportunities to support Valley interests and needs.
myrgv.comGonzalez claims victory over Flores
Under a national spotlight, Democratic U.S. Rep. Vicente Gonzalez claimed victory over incumbent Republican U.S. Rep. Mayra Flores in a highly contested race for District 34โs congressional seat Tuesday night, sending a message to the Republican Party โ โSouth Texas cannot be bought,โ Gonzalez said.
myrgv.comGomzalez claims victory over Flores
As of 10:45 p.m, Gonzalez had won 52,237 votes, or 53 percent, while Flores drew 442,967 votes, or 43 percent, with independent Chris Royal drawing 2,907. โThe people here are smarter than that.โDuring the campaign, the Republican Party and its aligned political action committees spent $7 million pushing their candidates cross the Rio Grande Valley, Gonzalez said. Across the Valley, Hidalgo County, for years his home base, pulled the vote, Gonzalez said. Floresโ campaignIn her campaign, Flores carried the banner โGod, family, country,โ symbolizing the Republicansโ push into the traditionally Democratic Valley, where the GOP has made inroads among Mexican-Americans in the last few years. After District 34 was created as a result of the 2010 Censusโs population increases, Vela won its first election in 2012.
myrgv.comSouth Texas, Abbott vs. OโRourke, and Harris County: Here are the biggest things to watch for on election night
While the GOP focuses on the border and economy under President Joe Biden, Democrats are hoping to prove polls and political forecasters wrong by tapping into anger over the overturning of Roe v. Wade and the Uvalde school shooting.
Former District 34 candidate decries text messages claiming support for Mayra Flores
โMy phone started blowing up with text messages and phone calls saying, โHey, you turned on Vicente? โI started getting screenshots of these text messages. The campaign messages purporting to be from Sanchez began flooding votersโ phones on the eve before Election Day. The Monitor reached out to the Mayra Flores campaign for comment and was directed to send inquiries via email. The paper also attempted to call some of the phone numbers associated with the false text messages, all of which had a San Antonio area code.
myrgv.comClinton shows support for moderate, progressive candidates ahead of Election Day
Over 500 people showed up to hear President Bill Clinton stump for fellow Democrat Michelle Vallejo in Edinburg on Monday afternoon, a day before Election Day. Richard Gonzales, chairman of the Hidalgo County Democratic Party, introduced Vallejo who was welcomed by an energetic crowd. The Democratic candidate emphasized points in her platform like healthcare, education, and improving the quality of life for South Texas. โThe first time I ever went to a political event was when Hillary Clinton was running in 2008,โ Sabrina Gonzalez said. โShe went to the Dodge Arena.โWhile Clinton represents a different time in the Democratic Party, Sabrina Gonzalez said she felt inspired to witness an act of solidarity during divisive times.
myrgv.comCameron County Republicans challenging Democratic base
HARLINGEN โ Cameron County residents are going to the polls in strong numbers for early voting, closing in on 2018โs record mid-term election turnout amid heavily contested races as Republicans challenge Democrats in the Rio Grande Valleyโs traditionally Democratic stronghold. Early voting runs through Nov. 4. Early voting demographicsSo far, the electionโs early voting list, which includes information on voters who have cast ballots, is offering a snap-shot into votersโ demographics. โFor once, people actually have congressional races where people are being courted.โMeanwhile, she pointed to local Republican women challenging the countyโs traditional Democratic base. โYou see a tremendous amount of money coming from the outside.โMeanwhile, Cisneros Graham pointed to a โgrass-rootsโ movement as drawing more Republican voters.
myrgv.comLUPE urges community to cast vote, beware of misinformation
โWe know the suffering that comes from not voting,โ Juanita Valdez-Cox, executive director of LUPE, said. And theyโre looking at South Texas Latino voters,โ Dani Marrero Hi, LUPEโs director of communication, said. Republicans are investing heavily in the race for Congressional District 34 where a Republican, Mayra Flores, won the seat after the democratic incumbent suddenly vacated it. Joaquin Garcia, a community organizer with LUPE, reminded people about their rights at the ballot box, including the protection against intimidation. Their poison is to divide us and distract us, but here in LUPE the antidote is to unite and press ahead.โ
myrgv.comValley cities to hire 28 new police officers through DOJ funding
McAllen, Edinburg and Alton will benefit from the Department of Justiceโs COPS Hiring Program, otherwise known as the Community Oriented Policing Services Hiring Program. The program aims to reduce and prevent crime by providing communities with funding to hire or rehire law enforcement officers. McAllen will receive $1.875 million to hire 15 officers, Edinburg will receive $1 million for eight new officers and Alton will get $781,029 for five new hires. โThe Rio Grande Valley is one of the safest regions in the country thanks to the efforts of our local law enforcement,โ Gonzalez said in the release. I am proud to announce this funding from the U.S. Department of Justice to ensure local police departments can hire more officers and keep our communities safe.โ
myrgv.comDem candidate running in contentious House race says his female opponent can't 'think' or 'speak' for herself
Democratic Rep. Vicente Gonzalez said Wednesday that his GOP challenger, Mayra Flores, "can't think for herself, can't speak for herself, can't act for herself, can't vote for herself.โ
foxnews.comLetters: Flores praised
I am glad to read that Rep. Mayra Flores, R-San Benito, is co-sponsoring House Resolution 82, the Social Security Fairness Act of 2021, which was introduced by Rep. Rodney Davis, R-Ill., to repeal the windfall elimination provision. How does WEP work? If you worked, saved and earned your pension while paying into Social Security, itโs your money and should not be taken away by the government. If this bill passes, firefighters, law enforcement officers and public schoolteachers would keep their Social Security benefits and their pensions in full. 82, the Social Security Fairness Act of 2021.
myrgv.comRepresented
People in U.S. House District 34 essentially will elect a new representative in the Nov. 8 election after Filemon Vela, who was elected to the seat in 2012, resigned earlier this year. Gonzalez has served three terms representing House District 15, which runs from Hidalgo County to north of San Antonio. Flores assumed the seat on June 21 and has voted in all of the 179 House votes held since then. Like Gonzalez, however, Flores in Congress has shown a willingness to cross party lines in her brief legislative career. Both Flores and Gonzalez have shown that they will be full participants in the legislative process.
myrgv.com$440 million awarded to South Texas financial institutions to address poverty
U.S. Rep. Vicente Gonzalez announced Friday that five South Texas financial institutions will receive more than $440 million to help address poverty in the region, which is widely known as among the poorest in the state.
myrgv.comLetters: Mayraโs claims
Mayra claims liberals in Washington attacked American energy and thatโs why gas prices are so high. Mayra says Democrats have long felt entitled to the Latino vote with little to show in return. Itโs like saying that Republicans have long felt entitled to the NRA vote, the KKK vote and the white nationalist vote with little to show in return. Italo J. ZarateBrownsvilleGonzalezthankedThank you, Congressman Vicente Gonzalez, for cosponsoring the Comprehensive Care for Alzheimerโs Act. Please join me and the Alzheimerโs Association in thanking Rep. Gonzalez for co-sponsoring the Comprehensive Care for Alzheimerโs Act.
myrgv.comโBig lieโ targeted: Gonzalez, Schiff tout Biden achievements
โFor the first time in history we will be negotiating pharmaceutical prices for Medicare recipients,โ Gonzalez said. He also highlighted the bipartisan CHIPS and Science Act of 2022, aimed at bringing microchip manufacturing back to this country from China. Gonzalez and Schiff also used the event as an opportunity to discuss Jan. 6, the โbig lieโ โ that the 2020 presidential election was stolen โ and the ongoing internal threat to American democracy. He said he came to the Valley to see in person things Gonzalez has been telling him about for the last year or so. โThis visit has been long in the planning and I really appreciate the opportunity,โ Schiff said.
myrgv.comDemocrats carry out OโRourke campaign event without him
ALAMO โ With gubernatorial candidate Beto OโRourke yet to return to the campaign trail following a bacterial infection, other Democratic candidates took the helm here to fire up support for the party. Among them is Democrat Rochelle Garza who is facing off against Texas Attorney Gen. Ken Paxton, a Republican, in the November election. โEveryone is saying that here, and I will reiterate that โ it is absolutely critical that we get people to vote. Vallejo is currently running in one of the most closely-watched races in the country against Republican Monica De La Cruz. He also pointed to the outside corporations that were pouring millions of dollars to support Republican candidates in the region.
myrgv.comU.S. Rep. Vicente Gonzalez and his wife defied property tax law for eight years by claiming two homestead exemptions
In Texas, married couples generally can claim only one such exemption, meant to provide some tax relief on properties considered โprincipal residences.โ Homestead exemptions cannot typically be claimed on commercial properties, second homes or income properties.
Fox News holds โBroken Border Crisisโ summit in Edinburg
A summit focusing on immigration, criminal organizations and narcotics smuggling along the southern border was hosted by Fox News on Wednesday in Edinburg and attended by local ranchers, law enforcement, Gov. Greg Abbott, Democrat U.S. Rep. Henry Cuellar and Republican U.S. Rep. Mayra Flores.
myrgv.comTo stay in Congress, Mayra Flores bets Democratic South Texas is ready for an outspoken conservative
A Mexican immigrant who worked in cotton fields to pay for school supplies, Flores is a source of hope for Republicans looking to gain ground in the Rio Grande Valley. But her staying power will be put to the test this November.
Letters: Response to letters
I would like to respond to two letters recently appearing in The Monitor. The first was by Jose C. Coronado, who lists all the things wrong with forgiving student loans (June 2). What he doesnโt mention is teenagers who were sucked in by unscrupulous online โuniversitiesโ that totally misled their students. But it doesnโt stop there; other โeducatorsโ like cosmetology schools, HVAC and auto repair schools take their money and provide little. Then heโs critical of the Republican delegation that comes to the RGV in response to the lifting of Title 42.
myrgv.com$7.5 million grant awarded for Hidalgoโs Payne Arena
The city of Hidalgo will be receiving a $7.5 million grant for the Payne Arena, which was affected during the COVID-19 pandemic, U.S. Rep. Vicente Gonzalez said in a news release. Hidalgo has been awarded the Shutter Venue Operators Grant of $7,523,373.75 for the arena. The grant is funded by the Small Business Administration after Congress passed the Save Our Stages Act in 2020. โOur community venues were some of the hardest hit as we battled COVID-19,โ Gonzalez, D-McAllen, said in the release. โThanks to Senator John Cornyn and Congressman Vicente Gonzalez for a job well done,โ Hidalgo Mayor Sergio Coronado said in the release.
myrgv.comDistrict 34 Republican enjoying special election victory momentum, but faces different November landscape
โThe NRCC and TX GOP also injected $1.1 million in paid voter contact efforts into the Flores campaign,โ he said. In stark contrast, the Democratic House Majority PAC announced a $112,000 television advertisement buy attacking Flores during the special election on June 8, less than a week from the June 14 special election. She filed to run in the special election on April 6 following her victory in the March Republican primary for the November contest. Federal Election Commission records do not distinguish between how much Flores raised and spent during the special election and during her primary victory. The special election occurred in the old District 34 boundaries, which included voters from Goliad, Bee, San Patricio and Nueces counties.
myrgv.comMayra Flores reaching for American dream
HARLINGEN โ Mayra Flores, newly elected to the U.S. House of Representatives, vows to become the voice of the people across deep South Texasโ District 34. PlatformDuring her campaign, Flores drew support amid the national economy reeling from the coronavirus pandemicโs economic slowdown. โShe is pro-life, pro-second amendment and pro-law enforcement.โAmerican dreamOn the campaign trail, Flores weaved the fabric of the American dream into her lifeโs story. In 2019, she graduated from South Texas College with a bachelorโs degree in organizational leadership. โMore everyday AmericansโNow, Flores is working as a respiratory care practitioner for a home-health agency.
myrgv.comMyRGV.com
Congratulations to Republican Mayra Flores of San Benito, who won Tuesdayโs special election to serve out the term of District 34 U.S. Rep. Filemon Vela. Floresโ strong showing is impressive; she captured 51% of the unofficial vote in a four-way race. She will face U.S. Rep. Vicente Gonzalez of McAllen, who currently represents District 15 but now lives in District 34 due to post-census redistricting. Is Flores willing to work to convince her fellow Republicans that reasonable immigration policies are necessary, and the need to craft those policies grows more urgent every day? We trust that Flores doesnโt merely sit pat and count on incumbency and party support to gather votes in November.
myrgv.comMayra Flores secures Republican win for special Congressional race
Republican Mayra Flores won Tuesdayโs special election for the Texas District 34 congressional seat. Turnout for the special election was a dismal 7.30 percent. In Hidalgo County, Flores won 42.76 percent to Sanchezโs 52.07 percent. Tuesdayโs special election, called by Abbott after Vela announced his early retirement, was held under the old District 34 lines, which Joe Biden won by four points in 2020. The state and national Republicans party, eager to flip South Texas from blue to red, see an opportunity in Flores.
myrgv.comValleyโs Democratic congressional runoffs headed to recounts
Two hotly contested, Rio Grande Valley-centric congressional elections are headed for recounts. On Monday afternoon Ruben Ramirez, a moderate Democrat who ran against progressive Michelle Vallejo for the District 15 nomination, announced he would file a petition for a recount with the Texas Democratic Party on Tuesday. The Texas Democratic Party on Monday finished canvassing and certifying the votes, triggering the petitions for recount in the tight Democratic runoffs. In District 15, Ramirez lost to Vallejo by just 30 votes. In a statement, Ramirez said his campaign owes it to District 15 to ensure that every vote is accurately counted.
myrgv.comDemocrats are in danger of losing three congressional strongholds in South Texas
The seats in question are held by U.S. Reps. Henry Cuellar of Laredo and Vicente Gonzalez of McAllen. A third vacant seat recently belonged to Filemon Vela of Brownsville, who stepped down to take a private sector lobbying job.
U.S. Rep. Filemon Velaโs resignation announcement sparks a sudden special-election scramble in hotly contested South Texas
A special election will determine who finishes Velaโs term, and while the winner will only serve for a short period, Republicans are already eyeing the contest to show momentum in South Texas.
Former ACLU lawyer Rochelle Garza decides to run for attorney general after redistricting upends congressional campaign
Garza, a former lawyer for the American Civil Liberties Union, had been running to succeed retiring U.S. Rep. Filemon Vela, D-Brownsville. U.S. Rep. Vicente Gonzalez, D-McAllen, is now running for Vela's seat after redistricting made Gonzalez's seat more competitive for Republicans.
With a congressional seat suddenly open, Democrats in the Rio Grande Valley race to recruit for a competitive district
U.S. Rep. Vicente Gonzalez announced last week heโll seek reelection in a new seat, leaving his 15th Congressional District open for the 2022 election. Candidate filing begins Nov. 13.
U.S. Rep. Vicente Gonzalez will run for a different House seat in 2022 after redistricting made his more competitive
Texas lawmakers made Gonzalezโs current 15th Congressional District more competitive for Republicans. The representative now plans to run in the 34th District, which is safer for Democrats.
Texas Senate approves congressional map that draws no new Black or Hispanic districts even as people of color fueled population growth
Texas gained two new seats in Congress based on population growth fueled by people of color. But the Senateโs proposal provides no new majority-Black or majority-Hispanic districts to reflect that growth.
South Texas was already a political battleground. New maps could alter game plans.
With proposed maps out, U.S. Rep. Vicente Gonzalez, D-McAllen, says he might switch to a neighboring district where U.S. Rep. Filemon Vela, D-Brownsville, is retiring. The initial maps are also sure to impact decisions in regional legislative races.
National Republicans zero in on South Texas congressional race to oust Vicente Gonzalez
The Democratic incumbent, Rep. Vicente Gonzalez of McAllen, had a surprisingly close race last year as President Joe Biden underperformed across the region, and his 2020 challenger, Monica De La Cruz-Hernandez, is running again.
South Texas emerges as political hotbed after Democrats underperformed there in 2020
Recent headlines about the influx of unaccompanied minors at the border have only intensified the GOPโs drive to turn South Texas into a new political background. The foundation for a South Texas-centered election cycle was laid in November, when Biden underperformed across South Texas in stunning fashion. โFor the first time in generations, or maybe ever, we lost โฆ South Texas counties with significant Hispanic populations. Hinojosa also suggested the GOP focus on South Texas "will ultimately help retain and gain other seats in tougher regions.โCuellar may be the biggest question mark of the GOPโs three targets in South Texas. Much remains uncertain, and until the maps are drawn later this year, the future of South Texas politics is theoretical.
National Republicans say they'll target five U.S. House seats held by Texas Democrats in 2022
The National Republican Congressional Committee, the campaign arm of House Republicans, announced Wednesday that it's targeting five Texas Democrats in the U.S. House as they seek to regain their majority in 2022. The list of targets is three more than the GOP seriously targeted last year and includes three Democrats in South Texas where the party underperformed in November. Republicans are especially emboldened after the NRCC's Democratic counterpart, the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee, targeted 10 GOP-held seats in Texas last election cycle and won none. But Biden underperformed in all three South Texas districts, carrying Cuellar's and Vela's seats by 4 points and Gonzรกlez's by 2. And he has said South Texas is a priority as he begins his term as a vice chair of the Democratic National Committee.
Four Texas Democrats urge Joe Biden to rescind executive order pausing oil and gas leases on federal lands, waters
According to the Congressional Research Service, the federal government owns less than 2% of the land in Texas. โTexas ... has been ravaged by the coronavirus and this recent Executive Order will hurt an already suffering community. Therefore, I urge the Biden administration to rescind this federal order and reevaluate the impact of this measure with input from relevant stakeholders and experts,โ Gonzales said in a news release. Of the leases that are active, slightly more than 2.5 million acres are producing or have produced oil or gas. The letter does not mention where the four Texas Democrats stand on Bidenโs decision to revoke the permit for the Keystone XL pipeline.
Donald Trump made inroads in South Texas this year. These voters explain why.
But Stewart and other South Texas voters who spoke to The Texas Tribune said the Democratic Party as a whole does not. And a similar swing by Mexican Americans in South Texas offset some gains Democrats made in the stateโs suburbs. Trumpโs statements condemning protesters and backing law enforcement connected with voters in South Texas, where a significant portion of the population either works in law enforcement or has friends or family members who do. I just think as a result, he didnโt make Latinos a priority until way later.โSome South Texas voters said they do not recognize the Democratic Party any more. Jay Peรฑa, an attorney in Rio Grande City, said as a kid he was raised a Democrat like most people he knows.
Texans in Congress divided over President Donald Trumps protest response
Nearly every member of Congress from Texas has publicly condemned the police actions captured in the video. Thanks to the pandemic, House members are not engaging with each other face-to-face, which is typically vital to moving legislation into law. Despite the turmoil in Washington, U.S. House members were mostly in their own districts on Tuesday. "We can be united for change in our society and we can be thankful that law enforcement is enabling our First Amendment rights. Like the president, Texas Republicans have almost uniformly called for law and order in the same press releases where they express despair over Floyd's death.