Mayra Flores has sworn this week as the first member of Congress born in Mexico. And she did it as a Republican running in the Texas area, which only elected Democrats.
Flores, the mother of four in her thirties, told me she grew up with "strong conservative values focused on faith, family and diligence." ..
She won nearly 51% of thevotes against 43% of Democratic opponents in a special election to replace Filemon Vela, a Democrat who retired before the end of her term. rice field.
She also won the Texas transplant and the votes of billionaires Elon Musk, Tesla and SpaceX CEOs. He revealed on hisTwitter that he voted for theRepublican candidate for the first time: "I voted for Mayra Flores — for the first time I voted for the Republican Party. A big red wave. ”
Flores will serve the rest of Vera's term and retain his seat against Democratic candidate Vicente Gonzalez in the November general election. is needed. Although her first term is short-lived (and she generally has a tough fight in front of her), her victory means an increase in the shift of Hispanic voters leading to a more conservative message. ..
Flores' 34th Parliamentary district voters are 84.5% hispanic. Originally from the northeastern part of Tamauripas, Mexico, Flores, who came to the United States "legally" with her family at the age of six, is a respiratory care worker and wife of the Border Guard. Her campaign never avoided border security issues and her belief that everyone could win the American Dream.
"People really influence their lives I want you to understand that, like inflation, education policy, literally the border crisis in the backyard, escalating crimes, the drug crisis, "Flores said in an interview with Post.
"We need a legitimate immigration system that works, not what happens every day in this area," she said of the flood of immigrants entering the southern border every day. rice field.
Flores was a local Republican when she noticed a few years ago. She said she participated in the event and was in line with their views on beliefs, education and border security.
She said that Hispanic voters see themselves as Americans, and Democrats see Hispanic voters as a national voting block. "That's why they felt they were eligible for our vote," Flores said. "The problem is that they do not represent our beliefs, communities, labor ethics, or the desire to seek better opportunities."
Flores' Rio Grande Valley district has been steadily eroding party support here for over a century. Is starting to do. Obama won a whopping 22.1% here just 10 years ago, while Byden won only 4.2%.
Cameron County (85% Hispanic and bordered) fluctuated 14.3 percentage points towards the Republican Party in less than two years. Byden scored13.2 percentage pointsfor the county. Flores won 1.1%.
Flores's remarkable victory is the red wave of the Republican house in 2010 Reminiscent of Ohio, Michigan, Wisconsin, and Lastbelt in Pennsylvania, candidates have swept the seats held by Democrats for generations. The media and the Democratic Party did not expect Hispanic to vote for the Republican Party. This is the same as the Legacy Blue Color Democrats did not expect the party to reverse in the mid-2010 and 2014. But they did.
House minority leader Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.) Said that Democrats take these voters for granted. "They always believed that they could get the right to vote in the same way they believed they had the right to get a white vote in the working class for years, but voters about what they care about. Stop talking, the cost of inflation, crime, gas and utilities and securing borders — you lose them, ”he said.
"When Flores was talking about these issues at the end of the election Her opponent was running in the [Parliamentary Rebellion] on January 6th, which shows that Democrats now understand that people are worried, "McCarthy said. I did.
Flores' victory is part of a larger trend in the populous states of Hispanics, where Republicans are afflicting local races. Last year, GOP held two terrible hispanic mayor races in Texas. Javier Villalobos defeated Democratic-backed candidates in the border city of McCarren, and Matty Parker defeated Fortworth Democrats with the support of Beto Oruk and Julian Castro. Both ran for president in 2020.
When Flores faces Gonzales in November, the newly drawn line in the 34th district supports Democrats. But she said she wouldn't hesitate to take on the challenge.
"There is nothing impossible even if you work hard. We We have it in us and we're really going to work hard to get everyone's votes, and we're confident we'll win that reelection in November as no one can beat us "She said.
Flores said she was honored to have the support of everyone who sent her to the US Capitol, not just the Musk vote. Now she wants to be their voice in Washington.
"Before I ran, no one cares what Texas District 34 was trying to say," she said.
"I ran because I wanted to give back to this wonderful country that gave me a lot. I achieved my American dream. I also gave all my children I want you to fulfill your American dream. I ran because I didn't want to run away. I won because people heard it in me.
"Attend a meeting Sometimes my job is to focus on issues that are important to the members, not to the people of Washington, DC. "
