Tuesday night marked an historic moment for Senate District 19, when voters elected Pro-Life Republican Peter Flores as the first Hispanic Republican to ever serve in the Texas Senate. In the process, Flores flipped this historically Democratic senate district, which had not elected a Republican for the previous 139 years. Flores’ decisive victory dampens the claims of an impending blue wave, proving rather that voters are tired of the corrupt, anti-Life policies of Democratic career politicians and are ready for a change.
SD 19 voters elected Flores to fill the unexpired Senate term of Carlos Uresti, who resigned in disgrace after being convicted of several felonies and sentenced to twelve years in federal prison. His resignation prompted an Emergency Special Election for SD 19 to be held on July 31. Because none of the eight candidates won a majority of the vote, the top two vote winners, Pro-Life Peter Flores and pro-abortion Democrat Pete Gallego, advanced to the Runoff Election held Tuesday. 44,487 total votes were cast in this runoff election that resulted in victory for Flores and the Pro-Life movement in Texas:
- Flores defeated Gallego by 53 to 47%, equating to over 2,500 votes.
- Flores won ten of SD 19’s seventeen counties, including flipping two counties that Gallego had won in the special election.
- Residents of SD 19 voting Republican more than doubled from the special to the runoff election. For Democrats this increase was only 30%.
- Turnout in counties where Flores won was nearly double the turnout in counties where Gallego won.
Texas Right to Life was the first organization to endorse Peter Flores and was heavily involved in his race. In this election the voters of SD 19 made their preference clear, soundly rejecting career politician Pete Gallego and his anti-Life voting record in favor of career public servant Peter Flores. Gallego was a member of the Texas House of Representatives and a one-term congressman before his defeat to current Republican Congressman Will Hurd (TX-23). Throughout his time in elected office, Gallego repeatedly voted against life-saving measures, including voting to continue taxpayer funding of the abortion industry and voting against the federal Pain-Capable Unborn Child Protection Act, which would have protected preborn children nationally from painful elective abortions five months after fertilization.
By electing Flores as their next state senator, his constituents have ensured themselves a crucial seat at the decision-making table in Austin. His victory will enable Senate Republicans to bring Pro-Life legislation to the floor next session without any obstruction from anti-Life senators. Flores himself will be a strong advocate for the Right to Life in the Capitol and will finally provide Pro-Life representation in a district where such values have been ignored for too long. Flores’ election victory not only confirms the illusory nature of a coming blue wave in Texas, but also emphasizes the amazing results that can happen when Pro-Life Texans are mobilized to make our voices heard at the ballot box. If Pro-Life Republicans reproduce this effort, the special election will serve as a harbinger of the November general election and illustrate that Pro-Life Republican Texans should not take any election for granted.