2022 Texas's 34th congressional district special election

The 2022 Texas's 34th congressional district special election was held on June 14, 2022. The seat, which went to Democratic president Joe Biden by only four points in the 2020 United States presidential election after being solidly blue in the past, became vacant after Democratic incumbent representative Filemon Vela Jr. resigned on March 31, 2022, to work at the law firm Akin Gump Strauss Hauer & Feld.

Republican candidate Mayra Flores won outright with 51% of the vote. Although Democrat Dan Sanchez was able to hold on to the Hidalgo County portion of the district by nine points, as well as flip Kenedy County after it went to Donald Trump in 2020, this was not enough to overcome Flores's gains in Cameron and Willacy Counties, resulting in them narrowly flipping red in this race after going to Biden by double digits in the 2020 contest. Flores was also able to shore up support in the district's northern rural counties, which typically voted Republican in the past. Flores became the first Republican to represent parts of the Rio Grande Valley since Blake Farenthold flipped the in 2010.

Candidates Democratic Party Declared Rene Coronado, civil service director Dan Sanchez, former Cameron County commissioner

Declined Vicente Gonzalez, U.S. Representative for and nominee for this district in the 2022 regular election (endorsed Sanchez)

Republican Party Declared Juana Cantu-Cabrera, former Palmhurst city councilor and candidate for this district in the 2022 regular election Mayra Flores, respiratory care practitioner, Hidalgo County GOP Hispanic outreach chair, and nominee for this district in the 2022 regular election

Endorsements

Special election Predictions SourceRankingAs of The Cook Political Report April 8, 2022 Inside Elections June 3, 2022 Sabato's Crystal Ball March 30, 2022

Polling Poll source Date(s)administered Samplesize Marginof error Juana(R) ReneCoronado(D) MayraFlores(R) DanSanchez(D) UndecidedRRH Elections (R)RRH Elections (R)June 8–11, 2022484 (LV)± 5.0%3%7%43%34%13%Ragnar Research Partners (R)Ragnar Research Partners (R)April 19–21, 2022400 (LV)± 4.9%7%9%24%19%41%

Fundraising Campaign finance reports Candidate Amount raised Amount spent Cash on hand Mayra Flores (R) $1,722,406 $1,608,423 $113,983 Daniel Sanchez (D) $173,668 $173,668 $0 Source: OpenSecrets

Results

CountyMayra FloresRepublicanDan SanchezDemocraticRene CoronadoDemocraticJuana Cantu-CabreraRepublicanMarginTotalvotesTurnout#%#%#%#%#% Bee99274.6 282 21.2 33 2.5 23 1.7 710 53.4 1,330 8.47 Cameron9,07247.5 8,875 46.5 891 4.7 267 1.4 197 1.0 19,105 8.48 DeWitt71382.0 98 11.3 10 1.1 49 5.6 615 70.7 870 7.18Goliad39579.6 76 15.3 14 2.8 11 2.2 319 64.3 496 8.63Gonzales 15882.3 20 10.4 5 2.6 9 4.7 138 71.9 192 4.26Hidalgo 1,203 42.81,46452.1 111 3.9 34 1.2 261 9.3 2,812 4.80Jim Wells65151.3 571 45.0 34 2.7 14 1.1 80 6.3 1,270 4.80 Kenedy 13 43.31550.0 0 0.0 2 6.7 2 6.7 30 9.71Kleberg86457.0 567 37.4 65 4.3 20 1.3 297 19.6 1,516 8.21San Patricio 38552.5 297 40.5 31 4.2 20 2.7 88 12.0 733 4.62Willacy35349.4 341 47.7 16 2.2 5 0.7 12 1.7 715 6.05 Totals 14,799 50.9 12,606 43.4 1,210 4.2 454 1.6 2,193 7.5 29,069 7.36

See also 2022 United States House of Representatives elections 2022 United States elections 117th United States Congress List of special elections to the United States House of Representatives

Notes

Partisan clients

References

External links Official campaign websites Juana Cantu-Cabrera (R) for Congress Mayra Flores (R) for Congress Dan Sanchez (D) for Congress