VICENTE GONZALEZ

U.S. Rep. Vicente Gonzalez, Democrat for Texas’ District 34, plans to introduce a bill that will rename Brownsville’s main U.S. Post Office after a fallen soldier from Brownsville.

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. “I am honored and humbled to continue representing the people of South Texas in Washington, D.C.,” 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,” Gonzalez said in the news release.

HARLINGEN — On Tuesday, U.S. Rep. Vicente Gonzalez was set to take the oath of office as congressional District 34’s new representative. But Republicans continue to wrangle over their selection of the U.S. House of Representative’s next speaker, leaving his new office in limbo. Without a speaker, (Gonzalez) can’t be sworn in. Until he’s sworn in as District 34’s new representative, Gonzalez said he’s helping District 15’s constituents, too. BackgroundUnder a national spotlight, Gonzalez won more than 50 percent of the vote to defeat Flores in Nov. 8’s general election.

Despite calls from local leaders for President Joe Biden to visit the Rio Grande Valley, the president will instead be making a stop nearly 800 miles northwest in the border town of El Paso.

President Joe Biden will not be visiting the Rio Grande Valley, according to a statement made by U.S. Rep. Vicente Gonzalez on Thursday.

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. Cuellar’s voting record has even fed speculation that he might switch to the Republican Party himself, although he hasn’t 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.

When redistricting cut into the Democrats’ advantage in District 15, U.S. Rep. Vicente Gonzalez opted to throw down a challenge in District 34 to the east, which actually increased his party’s numbers in the redistricting.

A recent injury has forced newly elected U.S. Rep. Monica De La Cruz, R-15, to postpone a tour of the congressional district she will soon represent come Jan. 3, 2023.

After finally flipping the Democratic district, Monica De La Cruz vowed to “represent all of South Texas” and likely will be influential on border issues.

The GOP flipped only one of the three congressional seats it wanted this cycle. But the party made inroads down the ballot.

Democratic Rep. Vicente Gonzalez is projected to defeat ​GOP Rep. Mayra Flores in her reelection bid for Texas' 34th congressional district.

Earlier on Tuesday, Flores tweeted a picture that was photoshopped to show a red-colored ocean wave and said "TODAY'S FORECAST."

Earlier on Tuesday, Flores tweeted a picture that was photoshopped to show a red-colored ocean wave and said "TODAY'S FORECAST."

GOP Rep. Mayra Flores will lose to Rep. Vicente Gonzalez in their hotly-contested Texas House race, a blow to GOP hopes of a large House majority in 2023.

The Democratic congressman ousted Rep. Mayra Flores, R-Los Indios, who had won a special election in June. The race was key to Republican efforts to win over Hispanic voters in South Texas.

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 34’s congressional seat Tuesday night, sending a message to the Republican Party — “South Texas cannot be bought,” Gonzalez said.

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. “The people here are smarter than that.”During 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. Flores’ campaignIn her campaign, Flores carried the banner “God, family, country,” symbolizing the Republicans’ 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 Census’s population increases, Vela won its first election in 2012.

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.

“My phone started blowing up with text messages and phone calls saying, ‘Hey, you turned on Vicente? “I started getting screenshots of these text messages. The campaign messages purporting to be from Sanchez began flooding voters’ 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.

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. “The first time I ever went to a political event was when Hillary Clinton was running in 2008,” Sabrina Gonzalez said. “She went to the Dodge Arena.”While Clinton represents a different time in the Democratic Party, Sabrina Gonzalez said she felt inspired to witness an act of solidarity during divisive times.

Local voters have one last chance to cast their ballots before polls close at 7 p.m. Tuesday.

Border Democrats in Texas held the line in two key House races.

Democrats are spending big to stop Republicans from flipping two of the three key battleground seats that have historically gone blue.

Democrats are spending big to stop Republicans from flipping any of the three key battleground seats that have historically gone blue.

HARLINGEN — Cameron County residents are going to the polls in strong numbers for early voting, closing in on 2018’s record mid-term election turnout amid heavily contested races as Republicans challenge Democrats in the Rio Grande Valley’s traditionally Democratic stronghold. Early voting runs through Nov. 4. Early voting demographicsSo far, the election’s early voting list, which includes information on voters who have cast ballots, is offering a snap-shot into voters’ demographics. “For once, people actually have congressional races where people are being courted.”Meanwhile, she pointed to local Republican women challenging the county’s traditional Democratic base. “You see a tremendous amount of money coming from the outside.”Meanwhile, Cisneros Graham pointed to a “grass-roots” movement as drawing more Republican voters.

The Congressional Hispanic Caucus bylaws explicitly block Republicans from joining due to major policy differences between members in the past.

“We know the suffering that comes from not voting,” Juanita Valdez-Cox, executive director of LUPE, said. And they’re looking at South Texas Latino voters,” Dani Marrero Hi, LUPE’s 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.”

McAllen, Edinburg and Alton will benefit from the Department of Justice’s 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. “The Rio Grande Valley is one of the safest regions in the country thanks to the efforts of our local law enforcement,” 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.”

Early voting starts Monday with a slew of competitive races on the ballot.Here’s a rundown of some of the most hotly contested races — state and federal — that Rio Grande Valley voters will decide.

Here's what we know about plans Trump's rally in Robstown on Oct. 22.

The three GOP candidates raked in a combined $4.3 million over the past three months, and their Democratic competitors got $2.4 million together, according to new campaign finance filings.

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.”

“I’m really, deeply disappointed in the DCCC,” Texas Democratic Party Chair Gilberto Hinojosa said. “I hope they change their mind, and if we lose this election, it’s completely on them.”

The seasoned South Texas Democrat is running his most aggressive campaign operation since his first run for Congress.

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, it’s 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.

Several hundred supporters of U.S. Rep. Mayra Flores met Sunday to give raucous support for her re-election in November, spurred on by the Republican congresswoman and a fiery speech by U.S. Sen. Ted Cruz, R-TX.

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.

Rep. Vicente Gonzalez, D-Texas, skipped a number of House votes and attended a campaign event instead, taking advantage of COVID rules allowing members to vote remotely

In two of the three races, Democrats are hitting back as outside Republican groups try to turn the region red.

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.

Rep. Vicente Gonzalez, D-Texas, elaborated on the strategy that former President Trump liked to deal with the crisis at the southern border on "Your World."

Mayra claims liberals in Washington attacked American energy and that’s why gas prices are so high. Mayra says Democrats have long felt entitled to the Latino vote with little to show in return. It’s 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 Alzheimer’s Act. Please join me and the Alzheimer’s Association in thanking Rep. Gonzalez for co-sponsoring the Comprehensive Care for Alzheimer’s Act.

“For the first time in history we will be negotiating pharmaceutical prices for Medicare recipients,” 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 “big lie” — that the 2020 presidential election was stolen — 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. “This visit has been long in the planning and I really appreciate the opportunity,” Schiff said.

ALAMO — With gubernatorial candidate Beto O’Rourke 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. “Everyone is saying that here, and I will reiterate that — 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.

The city of Alamo was awarded a grant of more than $500,000 to help its police and fire departments upgrade their outdated radio equipment.

The region has long been characterized as adamantly opposed to abortion rights. But the reality is more complicated. And times are changing.

Progressive Democrat Michelle Vallejo and conservative Republican Monica De La Cruz face off in a South Texas district long represented by moderate Democrats.

In Texas, married couples generally can claim only one such exemption, meant to provide some tax relief on properties considered “principal residences.”

In Texas, married couples generally can claim only one such exemption, meant to provide some tax relief on properties considered “principal residences.” Homestead exemptions cannot typically be claimed on commercial properties, second homes or income properties.

The bill would invest billions into issues acutely impacting Texas, including climate change and health care, and is the result of months of intraparty fighting between moderates and progressives.

Gas prices are falling but still high.

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.

Ten years ago, Republicans running for Rio Grande Valley congressional districts raised and spent lackluster amounts of money for the three seats in Washington D.C. that had been blue for as long as anyone could remember.

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.

The controversy arose as Republicans step up outreach efforts to court the Hispanic vote, with a growing number of Latino voters shifting to the right across the country, some experts say.

U.S. Rep. Vicente Gonzalez’s campaign has a history with the politics blogger, using more than $1,000 in campaign funds to pay him for advertising services.

Flores is saying that Gonzalez is funding 'racist' ads.

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 doesn’t mention is teenagers who were sucked in by unscrupulous online “universities” that totally misled their students. But it doesn’t stop there; other “educators” like cosmetology schools, HVAC and auto repair schools take their money and provide little. Then he’s critical of the Republican delegation that comes to the RGV in response to the lifting of Title 42.

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. “Our community venues were some of the hardest hit as we battled COVID-19,” Gonzalez, D-McAllen, said in the release. “Thanks to Senator John Cornyn and Congressman Vicente Gonzalez for a job well done,” Hidalgo Mayor Sergio Coronado said in the release.

It is the latest example of how Texas Democrats are on edge over the administration’s approach to high gas prices.

“The NRCC and TX GOP also injected $1.1 million in paid voter contact efforts into the Flores campaign,” 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.

HARLINGEN — Mayra Flores, newly elected to the U.S. House of Representatives, vows to become the voice of the people across deep South Texas’ District 34. PlatformDuring her campaign, Flores drew support amid the national economy reeling from the coronavirus pandemic’s economic slowdown. “She is pro-life, pro-second amendment and pro-law enforcement.”American dreamOn the campaign trail, Flores weaved the fabric of the American dream into her life’s story. In 2019, she graduated from South Texas College with a bachelor’s degree in organizational leadership. ‘More everyday Americans’Now, Flores is working as a respiratory care practitioner for a home-health agency.

Congratulations to Republican Mayra Flores of San Benito, who won Tuesday’s special election to serve out the term of District 34 U.S. Rep. Filemon Vela. Flores’ 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 doesn’t merely sit pat and count on incumbency and party support to gather votes in November.

Her outright victory in a special election is the latest chapter in a topsy-turvy election cycle for South Texas, which Republicans have worked to turn into a new battleground.

The GOP’s first pickup of 2022 in Texas, plus a mixed outcome for Trump critics in South Carolina.

Republican Mayra Flores flips Democratic congressional seat in Texas special election

Mayra Flores won a special election to serve as the first Republican in the U.S. House from the Rio Grande Valley since 1871.

Republican Mayra Flores won Tuesday’s 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 Sanchez’s 52.07 percent. Tuesday’s 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.

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.

The GOP is spending big to capture an open congressional seat in South Texas — if only for a few months — as they try to create momentum toward a November election where they are newly targeting the region.

Democratic primary runoffs for two congressional districts and two legislative seats in South Texas highlight the candidates’ divergent visions for the party in a region the GOP is heavily targeting.

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.

The winner of the special election will replace former U.S. Rep. Filemon Vela, D-Brownsville, who resigned last month to work for Akin Gump.

Trucks delivering products from Mexico are facing hourslong waits at ports of entry.

The race will determine who finishes the term of former U.S. Rep. Filemon Vela, D-Brownsville.

A special election will determine who finishes Vela’s term, and while the winner will only serve for a short period, Republicans are already eyeing the contest to show momentum in South Texas.

Find the latest, updated election results for the 2022 primary election in Texas on March 1, 2022.

South Texas Democrats are facing an identity crisis and trying to distance themselves from out-of-state progressives after the party underperformed in the region in 2020.

KSAT 12 analyzed the campaign finance reports of congressional candidates in the San Antonio area, revealing who has the fundraising advantage heading into the primary.

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.

U.S. Rep. Vicente Gonzalez announced last week he’ll seek reelection in a new seat, leaving his 15th Congressional District open for the 2022 election. Candidate filing begins Nov. 13.

Texas lawmakers made Gonzalez’s current 15th Congressional District more competitive for Republicans. The representative now plans to run in the 34th District, which is safer for Democrats.

Texas gained two new seats in Congress based on population growth fueled by people of color. But the Senate’s proposal provides no new majority-Black or majority-Hispanic districts to reflect that growth.

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.

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.

In Republicans’ bid to retake control of Congress, a traditionally Democratic stretch of South Texas has quietly become a top battleground.

Recent headlines about the influx of unaccompanied minors at the border have only intensified the GOP’s 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. “For the first time in generations, or maybe ever, we lost … 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.”Cuellar may be the biggest question mark of the GOP’s 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.

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 González'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.

According to the Congressional Research Service, the federal government owns less than 2% of the land in Texas. “Texas ... 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,” 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 Biden’s decision to revoke the permit for the Keystone XL pipeline.

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 state’s suburbs. Trump’s 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 didn’t make Latinos a priority until way later.”Some South Texas voters said they do not recognize the Democratic Party any more. Jay Peña, an attorney in Rio Grande City, said as a kid he was raised a Democrat like most people he knows.

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.