Oops! After decades of planting illegal immigrants in red districts across America, in hopes of receiving their votes in return, Democrats got a sharp slap across the face last night when Pete Flores, a Hispanic Republican, and newcomer to the world of politics won handily in a district that has been solidly blue for 139 years.
There’s been a lot of talk from Democrats about a “blue wave” that’s coming in November. They like to point to President Trump as the reason Americans will vote for their candidates. Based on the video below, it appears as though President Trump was almost as popular as the candidate who flipped the district red.
Voters elected political newcomer Pete Flores to the Texas Senate on Tuesday, flipping a Democratic district red for the first time in 139 years and bolstering Republicans’ supermajority in the chamber ahead of the November elections.
A retired game warden, Flores defeated former state and U.S. Rep. Pete Gallego for the Senate District 19 seat after receiving backing from some of the state’s most prominent politicians, including Gov. Greg Abbott, Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick, and U.S. Sens John Cornyn and Ted Cruz.
“We conservatives are conservative in the way we make approaches. The gunfight’s not over until the last shot’s fired,” Flores told the Express-News after Gallego conceded in a phone call just before 9 p.m. “The last shot’s been fired.”
According to the Secretary of State’s website, Flores won with 53 percent of the vote to Gallego’s 47 percent with 44,487 ballots cast.
Flores and Gallego competed in Tuesday’s runoff after emerging from an eight-candidate field in first- and second place, respectively, in July’s special election to replace former Sen. Carlos Uresti. The longtime lawmaker vacated his seat in June after being convicted of 11 felony charges.
In his victory speech, Flores reflected on the historic significance of his win and the job ahead.
“This district has not been Republican since Reconstruction. And in September of 2018, it’s Republican once again,” Flores told supporters. “The work starts tomorrow.”
Democrats are not going to like the video below, that shows Hispanic residents speaking out against Democrats and in support of Republican Pete Flores:
Flores’ win marked an incredible upset in a district that political observers said shouldn’t have been competitive for Republicans. Low turnout in special elections and high-level GOP interests in preserving a Senate supermajority helped push Flores across the line, they said. –My San Antonio
