Newly elected Mayra Flores on Democrats: ‘They feel entitled to our vote’

Rep.-elect Mayra Flores on Sunday credited her victory in a special House election in Texas to Democrats not taking Latino voters seriously enough.

Speaking Sunday on "Sunday Morning Futures With Maria Bartiromo," Flores said, "They feel entitled to our vote, making the same promises over and over and really not making nothing happen."

Flores on Tuesday won election to a South Texas seat that had been held by Democratic Rep. Filemon Vela, who resigned from Congress to work for a lobbying firm. She defeated Democratic attorney Dan Sanchez in an election that alarmed national Democrats.

"The main issue is inflation," Flores told Bartiromo in discussing the issues that drove the election. "The cost of living. Everyone is extremely pissed off, angry at the Biden administration because of increase of gasoline, groceries, of medication. That is hurting them tremendously, not only here in South Texas but in the entire country. Of course, the border crisis is something we see here right behind our backyards. It is not something that we need to be told by the news."

Flores, who came to the United States from Mexico as a child, said she wanted to improve the immigration process for those who wish to come to the country legally.

Her victory has been hailed as another sign of Latinos increasingly shifting to the Republican Party, though it came with a caveat — because of redistricting, she will be competing in a redrawn version of her district against Democratic Rep. Vicente Gonzalez in the fall. That district is seen as somewhat more advantageous to Democratic candidates.

“I hope the DCCC learns their lesson with this before it happens across the country,” Gonzalez said after Flores' victory Tuesday.

On Sunday, Flores expressed confidence about the fall campaign.

"Well honestly, it makes no difference," she said. "I'm very confident in the work that we're doing in south Texas."