Voters have now seen two presidential debates and one vice presidential debate, and the "Border Crisis" remains a top issue on voters' minds. In the hotly contested race between Texas Rep. Vicente Gonzalez (D) and former Texas Rep. Mayra Flores (R), they couldn't disagree more on the border. As Rep. Flores condemns the handling of the border by the Biden administration, Rep. Gonzalez calls it "uneventful," suggesting there's no threat.
Last month, in an interview with Texas Politics, Rep. Gonzalez shared that Vice President Kamala Harris (D) should not go "softer" on the border, adding that "we kind of have order on the border." Recent data disputes the claim as statistics show that there are 425,431 convicted criminals and 222,141 pending criminal charges. Of those criminals, 13,099 have been convicted of homicide, and 15,811 have been convicted of sexual assault. 62,231 have been convicted of assault, and 56,533 have been found guilty of a drug charge.
In a recent interview with the Texas Democrat, Texas Politics asked how his district was dealing with the border concerns. According to Rep. Gonzalez, he mentioned that there have been "very, very low crossings" in his district.
"The border is pretty uneventful these days," he added.
Vice President Harris recently debuted a new advertisement, promoting a "tough-on-the-border" stance that has attracted some controversy. Republicans like Rep. Flores have denounced Vice President Harris, arguing that she failed the American people as the "Border Czar."
Polling indicates that Rep. Gonzalez is in the lead in his race against Rep. Flores, but Republicans consider Texas' 34th district, which includes the Rio Grande Valley east of McAllen, as being at play.
The congressional race is a repeat of the 2022 general election wherein Rep. Gonzalez defeated Rep. Florida. A few months prior, the Republican congresswoman had been elected in a special election.
