For the first time ever, Texas’ 34th Congressional District will be represented on Capitol Hill by a Republican after a special election Tuesday night. Mayra Flores defeated her Democratic contender Dan Sanchez, with 51% to 43% of the votes, and comes as Republicans continue to make inroads among Latino voters in South Texas, a historically Democratic stronghold.

Flores, who bills herself as the first Latino Republican to serve Texas in Congress, is likely to face a more challenging race in November's midterm elections.

The current win was to replace Filemon Vela (D-Brownsville), who retired in March this year, meaning she was elected to serve the rest of her term. There were two other lesser-known candidates in the race, Democrat Rene Coronado and Republican Juana “Janie” Cantu-Cabrera.

According to the Texas Tribune, “Flores and her allies spent over $1 million on TV ads in the special election, while national Democrats largely stayed away, arguing it was not worth it to save a seat that will be up again in November — and under new, more favorable boundaries”.

The special election was held under the previous lines of the 34th District, which is considerably friendlier to Democrats, while now-President Joe Biden won the seat under its current lines by 4 points in 2020. However, recent redistricting has made the district more “friendly” in the perception of Democrats, which will be important for elections in November, when the Democratic candidate will be Representative Vicente Gonzalez (D-McAllen), who is coming out of 15th. Congressional District and will run against Mayra Flores.

Flores had the backing of top Texas Republicans including Gov. Greg Abbott and U.S. Sen. Ted Cruz, while Sanchez’s biggest supporters among elected officials were Gonzalez and Vela. Both Flores and Sanchez were endorsed by their respective state party chairs and vice chairs.

Flores’s victory comes as Republicans ramp up efforts to court Latino voters and amid a slew of polls and elections showing a broader shift among Latino voters away from the Democrats. She “had virtually all the advantages throughout the special election, especially when it came to fundraising. On the only major campaign finance report of the special election, she reported $752,000 in contributions, compared to $46,000 for Sanchez”, notes the Texas Tribune publication.

During the campaign, Flores invoked elements of Trump’s rhetoric and relied heavily on the strong conservative values inherited from his Mexican grandparents. She also made it clear that her immigration to the US as a child took place legally and with the help of her father.

According to The Guardian publication, “Flores has also voiced alignment with ‘America First’, an exceptionalist rightwing clarion call to those who feel neglected by politicians. She has claimed her district has long had ‘to beg for scraps from Nancy Pelosi’ and said, ‘for over 100 years, the Democratic party has taken for granted the loyalty and support south Texas has given them for decades’”.

On her campaign website, Mayra Flores blamed President Joe Biden in reference to Texas unemployment and the lack of border security.

“This election was a referendum on Democrats’ reckless policies that created a border crisis, led to record-high inflation, and sent gas prices soaring”, National Republican Congressional Committee Chair Tom Emmer said in a statement after Flores’ win, and reproduced by CNN News.