CORPUS CHRISTI, Texas — Democratic U.S. Rep. Vicente Gonzalez has won reelection in Texas’ 34th Congressional District after Republican challenger Eric Flores conceded the race Tuesday night.
Flores conceded around 8:46 p.m., bringing an end to one of the most closely watched congressional races in South Texas. Decision Desk HQ also projected Gonzalez as the winner Tuesday night.
The race attracted attention well beyond South Texas because Republicans saw District 34 as a potential opportunity to flip a Democratic-held seat.
The district, which stretches from Brownsville into the Corpus Christi area, was redrawn in 2025 in a way expected to favor Republicans. The Texas Tribune reported that Donald Trump carried the newly drawn district by about 10 percentage points in the 2024 presidential election.
Despite that Republican advantage, Gonzalez held onto the seat.
Results still coming in
At the time the race was projected, votes were still being counted.
NBC News showed Gonzalez with 96,316 votes, or 56.7%, compared with 65,822 votes, or 38.8%, for Flores, with about 81.5% of the expected vote reported. Those numbers were preliminary and subject to change as additional ballots were counted.
The race was much closer in Nueces County at that point. Gonzalez had 49.2% of the reported vote in the county, while Flores had 46.5%, according to NBC News.
Gonzalez, a Democrat and Corpus Christi native, has represented District 34 since 2023. Before that, he represented Texas’ 15th Congressional District from 2017 to 2023.
He campaigned on issues including lowering the cost of living, protecting benefits for seniors and veterans, women's rights, health care and education.
Flores, an Army veteran and former assistant U.S. attorney, entered the race after winning a crowded Republican primary with roughly 57% of the vote. He was endorsed by President Donald Trump and campaigned heavily on border security, energy independence and the cost of living.
The race had been considered highly competitive heading into Election Day. The Cook Political Report rated the contest a "toss-up," and national Republican groups invested resources in an effort to flip the seat.
With Flores conceding, Gonzalez will return to Washington for another term representing District 34.
This story will be updated as additional election results are reported.
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