McALLEN, Texas (Border Report) — Familiar faces won their party’s nominations in congressional races on the South Texas border in Tuesday’s primary elections.
With 88% of the vote, freshman Congresswoman Monica De La Cruz secured the Republican nomination for Texas’ 15th Congressional District, according to early results from the Texas Secretary of State’s office.
She was challenged by Edinburg teacher Vangela Churchill, who received 11% of votes
“I am so honored to once again be the Republican nominee for District 15,” De La Cruz said at her election watch party held in McAllen.
She said she wants to return to Washington to continue working to force Mexico to pay its water debt to the United States, which is affecting her district and other parts of Rio Grande Valley.
De La Cruz campaigned against illegal immigration and says Congress must reform asylum laws.
U.S. Rep. Monica De La Cruz, R-Texas, left, was easily leading to regain the Republican nomination Tuesday in Texas Congressional District 15. Right, McAllen entrepreneur Michelle Vallejo won the Democratic nomination for a second time.
De La Cruz will face McAllen entrepreneur Michelle Vallejo, who was declared the winner of the Democratic nomination for Texas’ 15th Congressional on Tuesday, beating out lawyer John Villarreal Rigney.
With 87% of votes in, Vallejo captured 75% to Rigney’s 25%, according to early returns.
Vallejo beat Rigney in a runoff for the Democratic nomination in 2022. However, she lost in the general election, sending De La Cruz to Congress.
Vallejo is supported by LUPE Votes.
GOP primary for 34th Congressional District
Former Congresswoman Maya Flores appeared to have captured the Republican nomination to once again run to represent Texas’ 34th Congressional District.
With 89% of votes in, Flores received 81% over a field of three candidates, according to early returns.
The district includes Brownsville, parts of McAllen and the Gulf Coast border.
In an interview with CBS4 on Tuesday night, Flores called it “a huge win.”
“I need to hold onto my faith and my family and embrace that. I need to hold onto God,” she said.
Flores is the wife of a U.S. Border Patrol agent and she staunchly opposes asylum laws and what she calls “open borders.” She wants the federal government to stop allowing asylum-seekers into the United States, which she says costs the country billions of dollars and takes away from American jobs.
Flores won the seat in a special election in June 2022 but lost it five months later in the general election to U.S. Rep. Vicente Gonzalez, D-Texas, who switched from District 15 to District 34 when the district lines were redrawn.
In November, she’ll again run against Gonzalez, who was unopposed in the Democratic primaries.
Democratic primary for Texas House District 80
Rosie Cuellar, a municipal judge in Rio Bravo, Texas, near Laredo, was neck-and-neck in early returns in a crowded field of five vying for the Democratic nomination in Texas House District 80, which includes Uvalde and parts of Webb County.
Cuellar had 26% of votes and candidate Cecilia Castellano, a businesswoman and public education supporter, also had 26% of votes, in a race too early to call.
The seat is open because incumbent, Rep. Tracy King, D-Uvalde, is not seeking reelection.
Cuellar is the younger sister of Congressman Henry Cuellar, of Laredo, who ran unopposed in the Democratic primary for Texas’ 28th Congressional District. Lazaro Garza Jr. and Jay Furman appear to be headed to a runoff for the Republican nomination.
Sandra Sanchez can be reached at SSanchez@BorderReport.com.
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