Eric Flores promises to support Trump in his Texas congressional campaign

Campaign Launch in Texas

Army veteran and ex-federal prosecutor Eric Flores announced his candidacy for Congress on Monday in Texas’s 34th Congressional District, a crucial battleground area. The district stretches along the Gulf Coast from just south of Corpus Christi to the Mexican border, including Brownsville and parts of McAllen.

Flores stated in a video, “We need politicians and more fighters who put our community first.” He emphasized, “In Congress, I will stand up to President Trump and fight for South Texas every day.”

This district is among 26 that the National Republican Congressional Committee has identified as key for the upcoming medium-term elections. The area’s political landscape seems to be shifting toward the Republicans, especially since Trump managed to gain nearly five points there in the last election, despite Biden having won it by 15 points in 2020.

However, during last year’s Senate elections, Democrats managed to carry the district. Former Congressman Colin Allred, who is eyeing a Senate run in 2026, is currently leading Senator Ted Cruz by six points in polling.

Republicans view incumbent Democrat Vicente Gonzalez as vulnerable. Despite securing the seat against former GOP Rep. Meira Flores in both 2022 and 2024, Gonzalez’s recent victory was by a narrow 2.5 points.

Flores, who is bilingual and hails from the Rio Grande Valley, has a military background as a former infantry officer and captain in the Texas Army National Guard. He has also prosecuted cases linked to human trafficking and played a role in securing convictions against some of Texas’s fugitives. Presently, he serves as a partner in various law firms across Texas, focusing on municipal and school district litigation.

He expressed concern about how past policies have adversely affected communities, stating, “Every day, you can see how broken policies hurt our community. Enough is enough.” He referenced Trump’s commitment to standing against insider politics, believing this is an opportunity not to be missed. “That’s why I run for Congress,” he said.