First Fox: Congress’s first Mexican-born member will launch a comeback bid on Tuesday, setting her sights on Democrats, who Republicans consider to be one of the most vulnerable home positions of 2026.
Unfortunately, we don’t have that many voices in Spanish-speaking communities (Telemundo, TV) or Spanish-speaking communities. We are talking to the Spanish-speaking community about the incredible work that President Trump is doing,” his administration told Fox News Digital in an interview before her announcement.
“And that’s what I feel is an obligation to do because there’s a lot of misinformation spreading from the left and they’re trying to instill fear and hatred in the Hispanic community.”
Flores served in Congress for about six months from late June 2022 to early January 2023, turning Texas’ 34th Congressional District from blue to red, replacing the former REP in a special election. Filemon Vela Jr., D-Texas.
Will this blue state Republican end his 20-year streak of GOP in his state?
Former Rep. Meila Flores is aiming for the 28th Congressional District of Texas, represented by Rep. Henry Cuerell. (Getty Images)
She lost twice reelection to Rep. Vicente Gonzalez of D-Texas, but in their rematch Flores fell below 3% of Gonzalez’s victory.
However, Flores’ 2026 bid aims to challenge another Democrat. The former GOP lawmaker told Fox News Digital that he intends to run in the 28th Congressional District, anchored by the Texas Road.
Cuellar is a moderately known to invade from his own party on issues such as border security, crime, and abortion.
He has served in Congress since 2005, and his victory ranged from thousands of votes to a 30% margin.
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Cuellar recently won under 6% in November last year – or around 13,000 votes.
“That’s not what Meira Flores wants. That’s what this country needs of me. And this country needs me to run at the Texas 28 and get this seat,” Flores said. “This is a seat that can be turned over in 2026. We need a bigger majority right now. It’s very difficult for President Trump to get anything with such a small majority.”
Flores said she is deeply familiar with the district and has a family connection to it.
Former Rep. Meira Flores and Vicente Gonzalez (Alison Dinner/AFP | CQ Roll Call by Bill Clark/Getty Images)
In addition to the seating being a viable opportunity for the GOP, she pointed to criminal charges as a debate to take on the quest, and she noted that he had been in office since he was one year old when he first served at the Texas State Capitol in 1986.
“At the end of the day, whether you’re a Republican or a Democrat, I don’t care what kind of party he is,” Flores said. “Being a member… is a position where you can help so many people and you can represent the entire district. And yet he has thrown it all away. And it’s not worth doing that in your country.”
Cuellar denied any misconduct in his or his wife’s part in a statement when the charges were announced.
“I want to make it clear that my wife and I are innocent of these allegations. Everything I did in Congress was to serve the people of South Texans,” Kuerer said in May 2024.
“Before I took action, I actively sought legal advice from the House Ethics Committee. He gave me multiple written opinions. “The actions I took in Congress were consistent with the actions of many of my colleagues in the interests of the American people. Furthermore, I called for a meeting with the prosecutors in Washington, D.C. to explain the facts, and they refused to discuss the case with us.”
Former Rep. Meira Flores served from June 2022 to early January 2023. (Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images)
When asked how she wanted another stint to appear in Congress, Flores signaled that she would focus on agriculture and economic issues.
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“At the end of the day, money is important. Without money, you don’t have shelter, you can’t get a car, you can’t provide it to your kids. So the economy is my top priority for me.” “And of course, agriculture is my passion. I was a farm worker. My parents were migrant workers. We traveled a lot. I think our farm needs to be prioritized.”
She compared the farming push to the Republican stance towards US energy independence.
“We talk about being independent, being oil and gas. I agree. 100%. But we need to be independent in food,” Flores said.
Elizabeth Elkind is the main reporter of Fox News Digital’s reporting in the House of Representatives. Previous digital bylines seen on Daily Mail and CBS News.
Follow me on Twitter at @liz_elkind and send tips to Elizabeth.elkind@fox.com
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