National Republicans say they will spend big to oust Rep. Vicente Gonzalez from his South Texas seat

WASHINGTON — U.S. House Republicans want Vicente Gonzalez gone — again.

The Republican conference’s campaign arm announced Monday it is adding the South Texas Democrat to its main target list in the 2024 congressional elections, singling him out as a top priority for next year in a sign that they believe his district is still flippable. His inclusion on the list means they intend to pour serious outside cash into a yet-unknown Republican challenger, ending the days when Democrats could run in the region without having to put up much of a fight.

“Republicans are in the majority and on offense. We will grow our House majority by building strong campaigns around talented recruits in these districts who can communicate the dangers of Democrats’ extreme agenda,” said National Republican Congressional Committee Chair Richard Hudson in a statement. “These House Democrats should be shaking in their boots.”

Gonzalez ran in the 34th congressional district last year after redistricting moved his home out of the McAllen-based 15th district, which he previously represented. Both the 34th and 15th districts were among the most competitive races in the state, with influxes of outside cash from both parties flowing into the campaigns. Gonzalez ran against incumbent Republican Rep. Mayra Flores, who had won the seat the summer before in a special election after Rep. Filemon Vela retired early from Congress to become a lobbyist.

Flores’ victory in the special election came with a massive surge in cash from out of the district, giving Republicans their first-ever seat in the Rio Grande Valley. But national Democrats opted not to match the spending spree and essentially abandoned the district, leaving their candidate Dan Sanchez vastly underfunded. Local Democrats were furious that giving the seat away to the Republicans would create a substantially greater challenge for Gonzalez in the general election, but national Democratic operatives contended it would be more advantageous to keep their powder dry to have more to spend in November.

Read more: https://www.texastribune.org/2023/03/13/vicente-gonzalez-republican-target-nrcc/