Dems sweat GOP surge in South Texas special election

Republicans are well-positioned to flip former Rep. Filemon Vela’s (D-Texas) seat in a special election this summer, a victory that will further reduce Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s already miniscule majority and send a jolt of momentum through the GOP’s bid to turn the entire Rio Grande Valley red in the midterms.

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National Republicans have so far pumped in nearly $450,000 on TV to help Mayra Flores become their first representative from the region in decades. The Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee and its allies, meanwhile, have stayed out of the contest, preferring to focus on upcoming races in the fall instead.

“I’m very concerned,” said Democratic Rep. Vicente Gonzalez, who currently represents an adjacent district. “The Republicans are all in and they have invested heavily in the district. And this election will certainly test the commitment of the DCCC to the Rio Grande Valley, to South Texas and to Latino districts in this country.”

“If we don’t keep the seat blue on June 14,” he added, “it will be a tragedy. It really will be a self-inflicted tragedy.”

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