Republicans flipped a Democratic stronghold in Texas: Why it matters

The Republican party managed to flip a Democratic stronghold in Texas, a state that is known to side with conservative candidates in elections. Mayra Flores, a political rookie, won Texas’ 34th district in a special election that was held on Tuesday.

Flores received 14,780 votes in the special elections and beat Democratic opponent Dan Sanchez, who managed to secure 43.3% of the ballots. The airwaves of the Congressional district were dominated by Flores’ campaign ads, which focused on her marriage with a Border Patrol agent and her idea of “the American dream.”

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Why were the special elections held?

The special elections were held to find a lawmaker who would fill in for former Democratic Rep. Filemon Vela, who resigned from Congress in March this year. He left the office for a job in the private sector.

Flores, a respiratory care practitioner, will serve for the remaining term. Fresh elections would be held for the following Congressional term.

Why it matters

The 34th Congressional district of Texas was earlier known to be a Democratic stronghold. Its close proximity to the United States-Mexico border made it an area that had a dense population of Latinos and immigrants.

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Roughly 85% of the registered voters in the 34 Congressional district are Latino, who often side with the Democrats for their liberal immigration policies. Republicans gained ground near the border in 2020, with Trump carrying half of those counties for the first time in a century, Politico reported.

The outcome of the special election will also briefly disrupt the balance of the United States House of Representatives. The lower legislative chamber, currently controlled by the Democratic party, is anyway expected to lose the majority in the upcoming midterm elections. The United States Senate has a 50-50 split between Republicans and Democrats.