News: Eric Flores, an Army veteran and former federal prosecutor, is gearing up to challenge Democratic Rep. Vicente Gonzalez for his South Texas battleground district.
Flores has already met with the National Republican Congressional Committee, according to sources familiar with his plans. Gonzalez’s 34th District is a prime pickup opportunity for the GOP because it has been rapidly trending to the right. President Joe Biden won it by 16 points in 2020. Four years later, President Donald Trump won it by 4 points.
GOP operatives involved in the race are excited over Flores’ profile. A Spanish speaker, Flores grew up in the Rio Grande Valley. He was commissioned as an infantry officer in the Army and rose to the rank of captain. Flores has served in the Texas Army National Guard and led troops to help secure the U.S.-Mexico border.
Flores is a former assistant U.S. attorney and served as a municipal judge in the city of Alton. Flores lives in Mission, Texas, which is just outside the current district lines. Texas Republicans, however, are preparing to redraw the congressional map.
Several other Republicans are already running in the March primary. The race will advance to a runoff if no candidate clears 50%.
In the past, Republicans have struggled to recruit for this seat. Gonzalez has twice beat former Rep. Mayra Flores (R-Texas), who is now running in a neighboring district.
Another recruitment scoop: Rosie Pino, a Republican city council member in Clifton, N.J., is running to knock off Rep. Nellie Pou (D-N.J.) in the state’s 9th District. Trump carried this seat in 2024 as it swung 20 points to the right at the presidential level. Pino is a child of Ecuadoran immigrants and has served in local politics for more than a decade.
