Democratic incumbent US Rep. Vicente Gonzalez was elected to Congress in 2016, and is seeking a sixth term against Republican Eric Flores in Texas’ 34th Congressional District.
The district is composed of the area on the Gulf Coast between Brownsville and Corpus Christi, and includes the northeastern portion of McAllen.
Gonzalez previously represented Texas’ 15th Congressional District from 2017 to 2022, until a Republican-led redistricting shift forced him to move into the neighboring 34th district for the 2022 election. During the Texas GOP’s mid-decade redistricting push last year, the 34th district was also redrawn to drop parts of McAllen, which historically leans Democratic, and pick up right-leaning areas near Corpus Christi, significantly increasing Republican voter share in the district.
Gonzalez won the Democratic nomination during the March 3 primary against Etienne Rosas. Throughout his reelection bid, he’s emphasized creating jobs and education opportunities for South Texas families, and pushing for affordable healthcare. See where he stands on various issues here.
Flores, who was endorsed by President Donald Trump and Republican Gov. Greg Abbott during the primary, won the Republican nomination in March by a margin of 10,000 votes. Throughout his campaign he has prioritized his support for border security, law enforcement, veterans, farmers, and gun rights.
Flores also endorsed President Donald Trump’s “Big, Beautiful Bill,” despite the legislation stripping farmers of resources and drastically cutting funding for the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, which tens of thousands of Texans in the 34th district rely on.
See where he stands on other various issues here.
While the district was once seen as a historically Democratic stronghold, recent shifts among Hispanic voters in South Texas have made it a competitive battleground.
In an interview with Texas Monthly in January, Gonzalez said that while he won his race by 20 points in 2018, things are “very different now” and that he’s seen firsthand “Latinos fascinated with the whole Trump movement.”
In 2024, Trump won the White House with historic support among Hispanic voters, including in South Texas. However, an increase in US Immigration and Customs Enforcement detentions and deportations across the state at the hands of the Trump administration has caused many Hispanic voters to abandon their support for the president.
Election Day for the 2026 midterms is Nov. 3, with early voting beginning on Oct. 19. The last day to register to vote is Oct. 5. Check your voter registration status here.
