Republican Mayra Flores won Tuesday’s special election for the 34th Congressional District in Texas, flipping a House seat that has been held by Democrats for a century and foreshadowing a red wave for the GOP in the November election.
Mrs. Flores, a former Hidalgo County GOP Hispanic Outreach chair, defeated Democratic opponent and Cameron County Commissioner Dan Sanchez as well as two other candidates.
She will immediately fill a seat vacated by Rep. Filemon Vela, a Democrat who left the House to join a lobbying firm.
As of early Tuesday morning, Mrs. Flores had captured 51% of the vote, enough to avoid a runoff.