Democratic candidate Vicente Gonzalez claims Mayra Flores, supporters 'stole' Texas special election

Rep. Vicente Gonzalez, D-Texas, who's running for re-election to Congress in the midterm elections, claimed during an event attended by House Intelligence Committee chairman Rep. Adam Schiff, D-Calif., that a June special election in Texas was stolen by Rep. Mayra Flores, R-Texas, and her supporters.

The remarks from Gonzalez came during a "vote blue" event at Shotz bar in Brownsville, Texas, on Thursday.

"Our democracy is at stake," Gonzalez claimed. "There's millions and millions of dollars from outside our region and outside our state that are coming here to try to steal our elections and take away your value and take away the process that we rely on, which is elections. And we don't have the resources to compete with these outside resources. We can't compete with the Koch brothers, we can't compete with big oil, and big tobacco, and the NRA. They can outspend us, but they can't outwork us."

Taking aim at Flores, his Republican rival in the race to represent Texas' 34th Congressional District, Gonzalez said the newly elected GOP representative who defeated her Democratic challenger in a special election to represent the redrawn district, "showed up to Congress and voted against keeping our communities safe."

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"They stole that last election," Gonzalez claimed. "They spent $3 million to our $250,000, they campaigned for two years, and they still only won by less than one percent. So, the way to turn this around is getting out and vote."

Schiff, who serves on the House select committee investigating the January 6 Capitol protests, also spoke to Gonzalez's supporters at the event and offered remarks favoring his candidacy in the race.

"The work you're doing to support our Democratic institutions, the infrastructure of our elections, the rule of law, the rule of law applies to everyone equally could not be more important," Schiff said. "It's been such a pleasure to meet so many of you and thank you for all you're doing to support my wonderful colleague."

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On Friday, Gonzalez shared photos of himself alongside Schiff, including one from the Thursday evening event in Brownsville.

"Thank you to my friend, @RepAdamSchiff, for visiting the #RGV this week," Gonzalez wrote in a tweet. "It's important for those in Washington to know and appreciate what South Texans have to offer and I was thrilled to show him around."

In response to Schiff's visit to the state to campaign for Gonzalez, Flores, the first Mexican-born congresswoman who took office on June 21, concluded the "swamp is protecting one of its own."

"The far left is getting pretty desperate when Adam Schiff is coming down to Texas to save Vicente Gonzalez," she wrote in a tweet. "The swamp is protecting one of its own."

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Gonzalez's claim that Flores' special general election victory over Democrat Dan Sanchez earlier this year was stolen comes amid recent rhetoric from President Biden that considers anyone who "refuses to acknowledge an election" to be a "threat to democracy."

Gonzalez will face off against Flores, as well as an independent challenger, in the November 8 general election to represent the Lone Star State's 34th District in the House.