Commentary
Last week Mayra Flores scored an upset win in Texas’ 34th Congressional District’s Special Election on June 14. She became the first Republican to win the seat since shortly after the Civil War, when many GOP voters were slaves freed from Democratic “owners.” It was a close win, with her 51 percent just enough to avoid a runoff. And her November reelection bid will be more difficult because redistricting makes the 34th more Democratic.
But her strategy and victory have produced many lessons for California Republicans and Democrats.
Before we get to her, what’s also interesting is the second-place finisher, Dan Sanchez, at 43 percent. When asked his views on abortion, he replied, “My views haven’t changed since I was a little boy. I’m a Catholic. I was raised as a Catholic, and as a Catholic, you know I’m pro-life….