In what may political analysts believe is a harbinger for the November midterms, Republican candidate Mayra Flores won the special election in Texas's 34th Congressional district, flipping a seat that was held by Democrat Rep. Filemon Vela Jr., who resigned earlier this year.
Flores won with nearly 51% of the vote, defeating Democrat Dan Sanchez.
Flores is the first Republican to represent the Rio Grande Valley in Texas since Reconstruction. The district is 85 percent Hispanic.
“This historic win will bring back God to the halls of Congress,” Flores said after her win. “This win is for the people who were ignored for so long! This is a message that the establishment will no longer be tolerated! We have officially started the red wave!!”
Tesla CEO Elon Musk said he cast his ballot for Flores in what was his first ever vote for a Republican.
Texas Republican Gov. Greg Abbott said: “Mayra Flores just beat a Democrat to win an open seat for Congress in an historically Democrat district in South Texas. Congress just got more Republican. Texas just got more red. The future is looking bright red in Texas.”
Meanwhile, in Tuesday's primaries in South Carolina, Republican Rep. Tom Rice, who voted to impeach President Donald Trump, was defeated by a Trump-backed candidate.
Rice, who was among 10 congressional Republicans who voted to impeach Trump after the events at the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6, lost to GOP Rep. Russell Fry in the state’s 7th Congressional District.
Also in South Carolina, Republican Rep. Nancy Mace, who did not vote to impeach Trump but did condemn him for the Capitol protests and was also one of nine House Republicans who voted to hold Steve Bannon in contempt, survived a challenge from Trump-backed Katie Arrington.
Trump offered a statement on both races in a statement via Truth Social, congratulating Arrington on running a tough race, calling her campaign a “long shot.”
“Congrats to Nancy Mace, who should easily be able to defeat her Democrat opponent!” Trump added.
“The biggest News of the evening so far is that Russell Fry beat Impeach Master Tom Rice with a Vote of more than 51%, therefore WINNING OUTRIGHT with no need for a run-off,” Trump said.
In Nevada, Trump-endorsed former state Attorney General Adam Laxalt won the GOP Senate primary. Laxalt in November will face Democrat Sen. Catherine Cortez Masto in a battle for what many analysts believe is a seat that Republicans can flip.
Republican @MayraFlores2022 has won the special election for Texas's 34th Congressional District, flipping a seat that has been under nearly unbroken Democratic control for four decades.https://t.co/I5CDOKrfnn
— The Texan (@TheTexanNews) June 15, 2022
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