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Flores was raised with conservative values and, although her parents supported the [[Democratic Party (United States)|Democratic Party]], she was drawn to the Republicans due to her [[United States anti-abortion movement|anti-abortion]] views.<ref name=NYT /> She has said that she was previously a Democrat and voted for [[Barack Obama]] in the [[2008 United States presidential election|2008 presidential election]], leaving the party shortly after that.<ref>{{cite news|last=Hennessy-Fiske|first=Molly|title=‘We’ve only started’: How Latino support for Trump grew in Texas borderlands|url=https://www.latimes.com/world-nation/story/2020-11-12/latino-support-grew-for-trump-on-the-texas-border|work=Los Angeles Times|date=12 November 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220301103630/https://www.latimes.com/world-nation/story/2020-11-12/latino-support-grew-for-trump-on-the-texas-border|archive-date=1 March 2022}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|last1=Reston|first1=Maeve|last2=Chavez|first2=Nicole|title=Democrats look to win back Latino voters after Trump's inroads in South Texas|url=https://www.cnn.com/2022/02/27/politics/latino-voters-texas-democrats-trump/index.html|work=CNN|date=28 February 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220409133502/https://www.cnn.com/2022/02/27/politics/latino-voters-texas-democrats-trump/index.html|archive-date=9 April 2022}}</ref>
Flores was raised with conservative values and, although her parents supported the [[Democratic Party (United States)|Democratic Party]], she was drawn to the Republicans due to her [[United States anti-abortion movement|anti-abortion]] views.<ref name=NYT /> She has said that she was previously a Democrat and voted for [[Barack Obama]] in the [[2008 United States presidential election|2008 presidential election]], leaving the party shortly after that.<ref>{{cite news|last=Hennessy-Fiske|first=Molly|title=‘We’ve only started’: How Latino support for Trump grew in Texas borderlands|url=https://www.latimes.com/world-nation/story/2020-11-12/latino-support-grew-for-trump-on-the-texas-border|work=Los Angeles Times|date=12 November 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220301103630/https://www.latimes.com/world-nation/story/2020-11-12/latino-support-grew-for-trump-on-the-texas-border|archive-date=1 March 2022}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|last1=Reston|first1=Maeve|last2=Chavez|first2=Nicole|title=Democrats look to win back Latino voters after Trump's inroads in South Texas|url=https://www.cnn.com/2022/02/27/politics/latino-voters-texas-democrats-trump/index.html|work=CNN|date=28 February 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220409133502/https://www.cnn.com/2022/02/27/politics/latino-voters-texas-democrats-trump/index.html|archive-date=9 April 2022}}</ref>


Before her congressional campaigns and shortly after graduating from college, Flores worked in the [[Hidalgo County, Texas|Hidalgo County]] Republican Party as chair of Hispanic outreach.<ref>{{cite news |title=Too many lawyers: GOP lawmaker spearheads PAC to elect blue-collar Americans to Congress |work=[[The Washington Times]] |date=May 25, 2022 |access-date=May 30, 2022 |first=Mica |last=Soellner |url=https://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2022/may/25/gop-lawmaker-pac-elect-blue-collar-congress-kat-ca/ |archive-date=June 17, 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220617015829/https://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2022/may/25/gop-lawmaker-pac-elect-blue-collar-congress-kat-ca/ |url-status=live }}</ref><ref name=NYT/> In 2022, she organized pro-[[Donald Trump|Trump]] caravans through the [[Rio Grande Valley]].<ref name="MedinaJuly22"/> Before her election to Congress, Flores used [[hashtag]]s associated with the [[QAnon]] conspiracy theory on an [[Instagram]] post, though she has denied ever being a supporter of QAnon.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Harris |first=Cayla |date=April 7, 2022 |title=Texas Republican Mayra Flores gets a boost in quest to be first U.S. congresswoman born in Mexico |url=https://www.expressnews.com/news/legislature/article/Texas-Republican-Mayra-Flores-gets-a-boost-in-17063044.php |access-date=June 16, 2022 |website=[[San Antonio Express-News]] |archive-date=May 31, 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220531064351/https://www.expressnews.com/news/legislature/article/Texas-Republican-Mayra-Flores-gets-a-boost-in-17063044.php |url-status=live }}</ref> In tweets that she later deleted, Flores also promoted the false claim that the [[2021 United States Capitol attack]] was "set up" by [[Antifa (United States)|antifa]] members amongst the crowd during the riot.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.cnn.com/2022/06/23/politics/mayra-flores-capitol-riot-qanon-kfile/|title=Newly elected GOP congresswoman spread Capitol riot conspiracies and QAnon hashtags in now-deleted tweets|first=Andrew|last=Kaczynski|publisher=[[CNN]]|date=June 23, 2022|access-date=June 23, 2022|archive-date=June 23, 2022|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220623220743/https://www.cnn.com/2022/06/23/politics/mayra-flores-capitol-riot-qanon-kfile/|url-status=live}}</ref><ref name="MedinaJuly22"/>
Before her congressional campaigns and shortly after graduating from college, Flores worked in the [[Hidalgo County, Texas|Hidalgo County]] Republican Party as chair of Hispanic outreach.<ref>{{cite news |title=Too many lawyers: GOP lawmaker spearheads PAC to elect blue-collar Americans to Congress |work=[[The Washington Times]] |date=May 25, 2022 |access-date=May 30, 2022 |first=Mica |last=Soellner |url=https://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2022/may/25/gop-lawmaker-pac-elect-blue-collar-congress-kat-ca/ |archive-date=June 17, 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220617015829/https://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2022/may/25/gop-lawmaker-pac-elect-blue-collar-congress-kat-ca/ |url-status=live }}</ref><ref name=NYT/> In 2022, she organized pro-[[Donald Trump|Trump]] caravans through the [[Rio Grande Valley]].<ref name="MedinaJuly22">{{cite web |last1=Medina |first1=Jennifer |title=The Rise of the Far-Right Latina |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2022/07/06/us/politics/mayra-flores-latina-republicans.html |website=The New York Times |access-date=6 July 2022 |date=6 July 2022}}</ref> Before her election to Congress, Flores used [[hashtag]]s associated with the [[QAnon]] conspiracy theory on an [[Instagram]] post, though she has denied ever being a supporter of QAnon.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Harris |first=Cayla |date=April 7, 2022 |title=Texas Republican Mayra Flores gets a boost in quest to be first U.S. congresswoman born in Mexico |url=https://www.expressnews.com/news/legislature/article/Texas-Republican-Mayra-Flores-gets-a-boost-in-17063044.php |access-date=June 16, 2022 |website=[[San Antonio Express-News]] |archive-date=May 31, 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220531064351/https://www.expressnews.com/news/legislature/article/Texas-Republican-Mayra-Flores-gets-a-boost-in-17063044.php |url-status=live }}</ref> In tweets that she later deleted, Flores also promoted the false claim that the [[2021 United States Capitol attack]] was "set up" by [[Antifa (United States)|antifa]] members amongst the crowd during the riot.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.cnn.com/2022/06/23/politics/mayra-flores-capitol-riot-qanon-kfile/|title=Newly elected GOP congresswoman spread Capitol riot conspiracies and QAnon hashtags in now-deleted tweets|first=Andrew|last=Kaczynski|publisher=[[CNN]]|date=June 23, 2022|access-date=June 23, 2022|archive-date=June 23, 2022|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220623220743/https://www.cnn.com/2022/06/23/politics/mayra-flores-capitol-riot-qanon-kfile/|url-status=live}}</ref><ref name="MedinaJuly22"/>


===U.S. House of Representatives===
===U.S. House of Representatives===
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==Personal life==
==Personal life==
Flores has worked as a [[respiratory therapist]].<ref name=NYT/><ref name=nbcnews-shabad>{{Cite web |title=Republican Mayra Flores flips House seat in Texas special election |last=Shabad |first=Rebecca |url=https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/2022-election/republican-mayra-flores-flips-house-seat-texas-special-election-rcna33652 |access-date=June 16, 2022 |website=[[NBC News]] |language=en |archive-date=June 15, 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220615205027/https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/2022-election/republican-mayra-flores-flips-house-seat-texas-special-election-rcna33652 |url-status=live }}</ref> She is an [[evangelical Christian]].<ref name="MedinaJuly22">{{cite web |last1=Medina |first1=Jennifer |title=The Rise of the Far-Right Latina |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2022/07/06/us/politics/mayra-flores-latina-republicans.html |website=The New York Times |access-date=6 July 2022 |date=6 July 2022}}</ref> She is married to a [[United States Border Patrol|U.S. Border Patrol]] agent, with whom she has four children.<ref name="SANews04112022"/><ref name=NYT>{{cite news |title=How Immigration Politics Drives Some Hispanic Voters to the G.O.P. in Texas |first=Jennifer |last=Medina |orig-date=February 28, 2022 |date=March 1, 2022 |access-date=May 30, 2022 |work=[[The New York Times]] |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2022/02/28/us/politics/border-grievance-politics.html |archive-date=May 31, 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220531071139/https://www.nytimes.com/2022/02/28/us/politics/border-grievance-politics.html |url-status=live }}</ref>
Flores has worked as a [[respiratory therapist]].<ref name=NYT/><ref name=nbcnews-shabad>{{Cite web |title=Republican Mayra Flores flips House seat in Texas special election |last=Shabad |first=Rebecca |url=https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/2022-election/republican-mayra-flores-flips-house-seat-texas-special-election-rcna33652 |access-date=June 16, 2022 |website=[[NBC News]] |language=en |archive-date=June 15, 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220615205027/https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/2022-election/republican-mayra-flores-flips-house-seat-texas-special-election-rcna33652 |url-status=live }}</ref> She is married to a [[United States Border Patrol|U.S. Border Patrol]] agent, with whom she has four children.<ref name="SANews04112022"/><ref name=NYT>{{cite news |title=How Immigration Politics Drives Some Hispanic Voters to the G.O.P. in Texas |first=Jennifer |last=Medina |orig-date=February 28, 2022 |date=March 1, 2022 |access-date=May 30, 2022 |work=[[The New York Times]] |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2022/02/28/us/politics/border-grievance-politics.html |archive-date=May 31, 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220531071139/https://www.nytimes.com/2022/02/28/us/politics/border-grievance-politics.html |url-status=live }}</ref>


==See also==
==See also==

Revision as of 04:58, 7 July 2022

Mayra Flores
Official portrait, 2022
Member of the U.S. House of Representatives
from Texas's 34th district
Incumbent
Assumed office
June 21, 2022
Preceded byFilemon Vela Jr.
Personal details
Born
Mayra Nohemi Flores

(1986-01-01) January 1, 1986 (age 38)
Burgos, Tamaulipas, Mexico
Political partyRepublican
Children4
EducationTexas State Technical College, Harlingen (AA)
South Texas College (BS)
WebsiteHouse website
Campaign website

Mayra Nohemi Flores (born January 1, 1986) is an American politician who represents Texas's 34th congressional district in the United States House of Representatives. A member of the Republican Party, she is the first female Mexican-born member of the House. Before her election to Congress she was active in Hidalgo County politics.

Flores was born in Burgos, Tamaulipas, and her family moved to the United States before she gained citizenship at age 14. She graduated from San Benito High School and South Texas College. Before her congressional campaign, she worked as a respiratory therapist and as chair of Hispanic outreach for the Hidalgo County Republican Party. In June 2022, a special election in Texas's 34th congressional district was held after Representative Filemon Vela Jr. resigned, which Flores won 51-43% against Democrat Dan Sanchez.

Early life and education

Mayra Nohemi Flores was born on January 1, 1986, in Burgos, Tamaulipas, to migrant farmworkers. Her family moved to the U.S. when she was six years old and she gained citizenship at 14. She graduated from San Benito High School in 2004.[1][2][3] Her family often moved yearly throughout Texas during her childhood because of her and her parents' work picking cotton, which began in Memphis, Texas, when she was 13.[4][5] She graduated from South Texas College in 2019.[4]

Political career

Early politics

Flores was raised with conservative values and, although her parents supported the Democratic Party, she was drawn to the Republicans due to her anti-abortion views.[4] She has said that she was previously a Democrat and voted for Barack Obama in the 2008 presidential election, leaving the party shortly after that.[6][7]

Before her congressional campaigns and shortly after graduating from college, Flores worked in the Hidalgo County Republican Party as chair of Hispanic outreach.[8][4] In 2022, she organized pro-Trump caravans through the Rio Grande Valley.[9] Before her election to Congress, Flores used hashtags associated with the QAnon conspiracy theory on an Instagram post, though she has denied ever being a supporter of QAnon.[10] In tweets that she later deleted, Flores also promoted the false claim that the 2021 United States Capitol attack was "set up" by antifa members amongst the crowd during the riot.[11][9]

U.S. House of Representatives

Elections

See also: 2022 United States House of Representatives elections in Texas § District 34, and 2022 Texas's 34th congressional district special election

Flores declared her candidacy for the United States House of Representatives in Texas's 34th congressional district after incumbent Democratic representative Filemon Vela Jr. announced in March 2021 that he would not seek reelection in 2022.[12][13] She ran her campaign appealing to Hispanic and Latino Americans and their disillusionment with the Democratic Party, which they have historically supported in South Texas.[14] Following the establishment of new congressional districts as a part of the 2020 redistricting cycle, incumbent Democrat Vicente Gonzalez of the 15th district announced his candidacy for the new 34th district.[15] On March 1, 2022, Flores and Gonzalez won their respective partisan primaries and will face each other in the general election on November 8, 2022.[16]

In March 2022, Vela announced his early resignation from Congress.[17] Shortly after his announcement, Flores declared her candidacy in the special election on June 14, 2022, to fill the vacancy.[18] Gonzalez did not run in the special election.[19] Flores's campaign focused on her family, the economy, border security, and her upbringing as the daughter of immigrants.[20] During the special election, Flores reported $752,000 in contributions, while Democrat Dan Sanchez of Harlingen reported $46,000.[21] Flores defeated Sanchez with 50.91% of the vote to Sanchez's 43.37%, avoiding a runoff.[21] She is the first Mexican-born woman elected to serve in Congress.[2][21][22][23]

Tenure

House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (left) swears in Flores (right), as her husband (center) looks on

Flores was sworn in by Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi on June 21, 2022.[24] Three days later, Flores spoke out about the Supreme Court opinion in Dobbs v. Jackson which overturned Roe v. Wade, stating that the decision was a "big win" and a "dream come true".[25]

Personal life

Flores has worked as a respiratory therapist.[4][26] She is married to a U.S. Border Patrol agent, with whom she has four children.[2][4]

See also

References

  1. ^ "FLORES, Mayra". Biographical Directory of the United States Congress. Archived from the original on June 22, 2022. Retrieved June 22, 2022.
  2. ^ a b c Harris, Cayla; Bureau, Austin (April 11, 2022) [April 7, 2022]. "Texas Republican Mayra Flores gets a boost in quest to be first U.S. congresswoman born in Mexico". San Antonio Express-News. Archived from the original on June 17, 2022. Retrieved May 30, 2022. {{cite news}}: |last2= has generic name (help)
  3. ^ Manchester, Julia (June 15, 2022). "Republican Mayra Flores flips House seat in Texas special election". The Hill. Archived from the original on June 17, 2022. Retrieved June 16, 2022.
  4. ^ a b c d e f Medina, Jennifer (March 1, 2022) [February 28, 2022]. "How Immigration Politics Drives Some Hispanic Voters to the G.O.P. in Texas". The New York Times. Archived from the original on May 31, 2022. Retrieved May 30, 2022.
  5. ^ Harris, Cayla. What to know about Texas Republican Mayra Flores, the first congresswoman-elect born in Mexico Archived June 17, 2022, at the Wayback Machine, San Antonio Express-News, June 15, 2022.
  6. ^ Hennessy-Fiske, Molly (November 12, 2020). "'We've only started': How Latino support for Trump grew in Texas borderlands". Los Angeles Times. Archived from the original on March 1, 2022.
  7. ^ Reston, Maeve; Chavez, Nicole (February 28, 2020). "Democrats look to win back Latino voters after Trump's inroads in South Texas". CNN. Archived from the original on April 9, 2022.
  8. ^ Soellner, Mica (May 25, 2022). "Too many lawyers: GOP lawmaker spearheads PAC to elect blue-collar Americans to Congress". The Washington Times. Archived from the original on June 17, 2022. Retrieved May 30, 2022.
  9. ^ a b Medina, Jennifer (July 6, 2022). "The Rise of the Far-Right Latina". The New York Times. Retrieved July 6, 2022.
  10. ^ Harris, Cayla (April 7, 2022). "Texas Republican Mayra Flores gets a boost in quest to be first U.S. congresswoman born in Mexico". San Antonio Express-News. Archived from the original on May 31, 2022. Retrieved June 16, 2022.
  11. ^ Kaczynski, Andrew (June 23, 2022). "Newly elected GOP congresswoman spread Capitol riot conspiracies and QAnon hashtags in now-deleted tweets". CNN. Archived from the original on June 23, 2022. Retrieved June 23, 2022.
  12. ^ Nichols, Hans (March 22, 2021). "Rep. Filemon Vela to retire from House ahead of Texas redistricting". Axios. Archived from the original on April 11, 2022. Retrieved March 22, 2021.
  13. ^ "South Texas emerges as political hotbed after Democrats underperformed there in 2020". The Texas Tribune. March 26, 2021. Archived from the original on April 11, 2021. Retrieved April 6, 2021.
  14. ^ "Latinas Are Pushing a Political Revolution in South Texas—to the Right". Texas Monthly. Archived from the original on May 20, 2022. Retrieved May 31, 2022.
  15. ^ Svitek, Patrick (October 26, 2021). "U.S. Rep. Vicente Gonzalez will run for a different House seat in 2022 after redistricting made his more competitive". The Texas Tribune. Archived from the original on October 26, 2021. Retrieved October 26, 2021.
  16. ^ "Unofficial election results: Vicente Gonzalez, Mayra Flores win nominations in District 34 race". KRGV-TV. March 1, 2022. Archived from the original on June 17, 2022. Retrieved May 30, 2022.
  17. ^ Livingston, Abby (March 24, 2022). "U.S. Rep. Filemon Vela will resign early from Congress". The Texas Tribune. Archived from the original on March 24, 2022. Retrieved March 24, 2022.
  18. ^ Svitek, Patrick (March 24, 2022). "U.S. Rep. Filemon Vela's resignation announcement sparks a sudden special-election scramble in hotly contested South Texas". The Texas Tribune. Archived from the original on May 25, 2022. Retrieved May 30, 2022.
  19. ^ "Texas election is GOP's chance to prove how midterm winds are blowing". Rollcall.com. April 11, 2022. Archived from the original on June 13, 2022. Retrieved June 15, 2022.
  20. ^ Svitek, Patrick (June 16, 2022). "How Mayra Flores flipped a Rio Grande Valley congressional seat and gave Republicans hope for a new era in South Texas". Texas Tribune. Archived from the original on June 16, 2022. Retrieved June 16, 2022.
  21. ^ a b c Svitek, Patrick. Republicans flip U.S. House seat in South Texas, historically a Democratic stronghold Archived June 15, 2022, at the Wayback Machine, Texas Tribune, June 14, 2022.
  22. ^ "Mayra Flores becomes the first Mexican-born woman sworn in to Congress". CNN. Archived from the original on June 30, 2022. Retrieved July 1, 2022.
  23. ^ "Texas lawmaker first Mexican-born woman to join Congress". KKTV. Archived from the original on June 24, 2022. Retrieved July 1, 2022.
  24. ^ "South Texas Republican Mayra Flores sworn in as newest member of Congress". Dallas News. June 21, 2022. Archived from the original on June 21, 2022. Retrieved June 21, 2022.
  25. ^ "New Texas Rep. Mayra Flores on Roe v. Wade reversal: 'We have to start valuing life'". Fox News. June 24, 2022. Archived from the original on June 26, 2022. Retrieved June 26, 2022.
  26. ^ Shabad, Rebecca. "Republican Mayra Flores flips House seat in Texas special election". NBC News. Archived from the original on June 15, 2022. Retrieved June 16, 2022.
U.S. House of Representatives
Preceded by Member of the U.S. House of Representatives
from Texas's 34th congressional district
2022–present 		Incumbent
U.S. order of precedence (ceremonial)
Preceded by United States representatives by seniority
430th 		Succeeded by
Retrieved from "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Mayra_Flores&oldid=1096870599"