With Republicans holding a razor-thin majority in the U.S. House of Representatives, the White House is focusing on retaining seats and targeting those Democratic representatives who are perceived as vulnerable in the 2026 midterm election cycle, including Rep. Vicente Gonzalez (D), who narrowly defeated former Rep. Mayra Flores by 2 percentage points last cycle.
Rep. Flores, who waves the MAGA flag and has garnered President Trump’s endorsement in 2024, has announced to run for Rep. Gonzalez’s seat in 2026, but so has Army Veteran Eric Flores.
Attorney Eric Flores’s (no relation ) congressional candidacy could make for a colorful primary contest, considering that he and Rep. Flores both share the same surname.
But could Mr. Flores gain support by having the same surname as Rep. Flores, who already holds significant name recognition in the congressional district she narrowly lost to Rep. Gonzalez?
POLLING
According to a recent poll Rep. Flores released, she holds a 33 percentage point advantage over Mr. Flores, a former Biden Department of Justice attorney.
In the poll, Mrs. Flores garnered 38 % of the vote while Mr. Flores only received 5% support. It is important to note that there are 51% of those polled are considered undecided.
There are three other individuals polled, but all surveyed were under 4 %.
Hypothetically speaking, if Mr. Flores were to garner 50% of those undecided voters and Mrs. Flores were only able to win the support of, let's say, 15% of those undecided voters, she would still defeat him 53% to 31% and avoid a runoff election.
Eric Flores Running as a Republican
“My values are rooted in faith. They’re rooted in family. And they’re rooted in country. That’s not the Democratic Party today,” Flores said. “And that’s why I’m running as a Republican.”
Flores’ emphasis on “running as a Republican” speaks volumes.
Mr. Flores, whose family has deep Democrat Party ties to the region, appears to have been a lifelong voting Democrat according to public records.’’ Mr. Flores' father is former Democratic State Rep. Kino Flores who was found guilty of 6 felony counts, including allegations that he sold access and or influence in the state legislature.
According to the “Hidalgo County Voting History Record” up until the 2020 General Election, Mr. Flores was listed as a registered Democrat and voted in both the primary and general election that year.
Meaning, Eric Flores may have voted for then-Democrat presidential nominee Joe Biden, Sen. Bernie Sanders, Mayor Michael Bloomberg, or 5 other candidates in the presidential primary election, and may have voted against President Trump in the 2020 general election.
Texas is an open primary state.
As a Democrat, did Eric Flores vote for Biden or Sanders in the primary?
Did Flores vote for Biden over Trump in the 2020 general election?
Working in the Biden Administration
As the Biden Administration’s Department of Justice actively persecuted President Trump with former Special Council Jack Smith leading the efforts by overseeing two prosecutions against the president, Flores worked in Biden’s Justice Department for “three remarkable years as an Assistant United States Attorney.” On January 3, 2025, Flores announced that he was leaving the Justice Department.
“After three remarkable years as an Assistant United States Attorney, I have completed my commitment and my time in this role has come to a close! These years have been defined by unwavering dedication to the pursuit of justice-combating white-collar crime and safeguarding the integrity of our financial systems,” stated Flores on social media.
Flores vs Flores
Both Flores’ have visited with White House officials about their respective campaigns.
Rep. Flores, a life-long Republican who voted for Mitt Romney in 2012, says President Trump inspired her to run for Congress in 2020, and like most Republicans, looks to dismantle the current progressive, socialist-minded Democratic Party.
Mr. Flores could be taking a more subtle approach to running for Congress.
According to one of Mr. Flores’s Democrat childhood friends, Eden Ramirez, Flores “Isn’t running to be Trump’s yes-man” and may run a not-so-MAGA congressional campaign.
“You’ll find someone who doesn’t want to tear down the Democratic Party so much as wake it up and force it to start delivering for us again. And you’ll find that voting for a good person who genuinely wants to serve feels right, regardless of party,” stated Edén Ramírez, Jr.
The District
It’s important to understand that the newly-drawn congressional seats in Texas could dictate how this and other races go. If the lines stick, Mrs. Flores would have the clear advantage in a Republican-leaning congressional district.
In 2024, Flores lost to Rep. Gonzalez (2) by 2% in a very Democrat-leaning district.
In a Republican-drawn seat, Flores would most likely (easily) defeat the Democratic incumbent lawmaker.
But just as Flores proves to have the necessary name identification and fundraising prowess to win in any congressional seat, can the argument be made that voters want new blood in 2026?
In a contested Republican primary race between the two Flores’, Mr. Flores’ military background could help him garner support with veterans and law enforcement, but it could be a heavy lift for him to get passed the fact that he worked for the anti-Trump Biden Department of Justice for “three remarkable years" and probably voted for Biden over Trump in the 2020 general election.
Texas primary election day is March 3. If there is a run-off elections, if neither Flores nor Flores can garner 50 % of the vote, that election will be held on May 28.
