Lavaca County neighbors
DeWitt County
U.S. Congressional District 34
Yoakum

Mayra Flores, R-Los Indios, claims Filemon Vela’s old seat

U.S. Congressional District 34 Special Election shifts party dynamics on the border

 

  • Texas State Sen. Lois Kolkhort speaks to a Yoakum crowd gathered fora Senate District 18 meeting in 2021. Both Kolkhorst and Myra Flores' Congressional District 34 will share a few of the same counties in Texas.
    Texas State Sen. Lois Kolkhort speaks to a Yoakum crowd gathered fora Senate District 18 meeting in 2021. Both Kolkhorst and Myra Flores' Congressional District 34 will share a few of the same counties in Texas.

    A South Texas respiratory care practitioner will be headed to Washington, D.C., to serve as the next congresswoman for District 34, following a special called election by the governor to replace Filemon Vela, D-Brownsville, who resigned his post suddenly in April to become a lobbyist.

    Texas Gov. Gregg Abbott called the special election in which just four candidates filed for the office, two Democrats and two Republicans. That election was then held on Flag Day, Tuesday, June 14.

    When all the votes were tallied, it was Mayra Flores, a Republican from small Texas town of Los Indios, who walked away with the win, collecting 14,780 votes across District 34 (7,516 of those in early voting) to win 50.98% of the ballots cast in that race.

    Unofficial election districtwide results showed Juana “Janie” Cantu-Cabrera, R-South Padre Island, collected 451 votes (247 early) to win just 1.56% of the ballots cast; Rene Coronado, D-Harlingen, collected 1,199 votes (845 early) to win 4.14% of ballots cast; and Dan Sanchez, D-Harlingen, collected 12,560 votes (7,267 early) to win 43.33% of the ballots cast. 

    U.S. Congressional District 34 includes all or part of Bee, Cameron, DeWitt, Goliad, Gonzales, Hidalgo, Jim Wells, Kenedy, Kleberg, San Patricio and Willacy counties.

    Dewitt County voters joined with fellow citizens across U.S. Congressional District 34 in casting ballots in a special election held Tuesday, June 14, to select a new congressman 

    DeWitt County voters cast their ballot in much the same fashion as others did across their district. With all precincts accounted for, Texas Secretary of State totals showed that local voters cast 48 votes (22 early) for Cantu-Cabrera; 9 votes (5 early) for Coronado; 98 votes (58 early) for Sanchez; and 710 votes (260 early).

    A total of 865 votes were tallied in DeWitt County, representing just 7.14% of the 12,118 voters in the county. A total of 28,990 ballots were cast districtwide, out of the 395,025 total registered voters, representing a 7.34% turnout.