A packed house assembled in Harlingen on Saturday evening to celebrate the grand opening of a “battlestation” by the National Republican Congressional Committee (NRCC), as Republican challenger Eric Flores seeks to oust Democrat incumbent Congressman Vicente Gonzalez in Congressional District 34.
According to the NRCC, the new office will “serve as a hub for the grassroots team, focused on mobilizing voters and building momentum across South Texas to help Eric Flores defeat out of touch Democrat Vicente Gonzalez in November.
Eric Flores was introduced by his wife, Victoria, at the event. In her remarks, she emphasized her husband’s character and integrity.
“Eric is a man of integrity. He does what he says he’s going to do. He keeps his word. He stands up for what’s right, even when it’s hard. He is respectful to everyone, whether he’s speaking with a business owner, a veteran, a farmer, a single mom, or someone who disagrees with him politically. He treats people with dignity and in a world where so much of politics has become angry and divisive, that matters,” said Victoria Flores.
Speaking to the crowd, Eric Flores promised to be an effective voice for South Texas in Congress and criticized incumbent Democrat Vicente Gonzalez for lacking leadership.
“South Texas is number one in my heart, and I can tell you that my opponent is trying to crush every value that South Texas stands for: family, faith, and service, and that’s not who we are in South Texas,” remarked Eric Flores.
“We have major ports, a thriving energy sector, world-class agriculture. Military installations that are critical to our national defense when it comes to CCAD and NAS Kingsville. There is absolutely no reason South Texas should be sitting, settling for second. We must be settling for first every single day. As I said earlier, we don’t lack talent. The problem is we don’t lack opportunity. What we lack is leadership. For nearly a decade in South Texas, we’ve had a representative who’s been a no-show, do nothing in Congress, and what I call a glorified piece of furniture in DC, collecting a check.”
Gonzalez has recently taken to Facebook to post personal insults against Flores’ supporters in exchanges critical of the incumbent Congressman.
“[Flores] has the losers on his side. You being Exhibit A. You should go on some walks and oxygenize your brain. It won’t hurt the rest of you either,” wrote Gonzalez in response to a critical Facebook comment posted by Susan Ruvalcaba, a small business owner in Cameron County.
In another social media exchange, Gonzalez attacked a fishing tour captain who is supporting Flores, accusing him of being “just another catch-less scammer.”
Flores called out Gonzalez’s conduct during his speech.
“[Gonzalez] acts like a five-year-old child on Facebook to his own constituents, whether they’re Republican, Democrat, Independent, or whatever the case may be. Our representative in DC should be focused on one thing, and that’s delivering for South Texas and Texas 34,” said Flores.
The Texas Voice has previously reported on comments made by Gonzalez that mocked Flores’ military service. In 2022, Gonzalez came under fire for paying $2,200 to a liberal blogger who posted racist comments about Gonzalez’s Republican opponent.
