GOP heavyweights McCarthy, Gingrich back ‘triple threat’ candidates in McAllen

With control of the U.S. House and Senate up for grabs on Election Day Tuesday, the Rio Grande Valley has increasingly become a battleground region for national politicos. After more than a century as a staunch Democratic stronghold, the Valley has begun to lean more heavily red in recent years, which, in turn, has drawn some of the biggest names in the GOP down here to stump for new Republican hopefuls. The latest example of that came Sunday, when House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy and former Speaker of the House Newt Gingrich made an appearance at the Radisson Hotel in support of the so-called “triple threat” — Mayra Flores, Monica De La Cruz and Cassy Garcia.

“To me, this is one of the most important places to be. This is where history is gonna get made,” McCarthy said in front of a gaggle of press just before the “Take Back the House” campaign event got underway. Republicans need to flip just five seats in the U.S. House of Representatives in order to take control of the chamber. If they are able to do so, McCarthy is widely expected to become the next speaker of the house — one of the most powerful positions in Washington, D.C. and second in the line of succession to the presidency. The Valley’s rightward shift recently resulted in a huge win for the Republican Party when voters elected Flores this June to fill the unexpired term of Democrat Filemon Vela Jr., who resigned on March 31. Flores — the first Mexican-born woman elected to Congress — won the short-term seat on a campaign of border security, faith and family values. Now, Flores is hoping to hang onto her District 34 seat against Vicente Gonzalez, a Democrat from McAllen who was first elected to the 15th Congressional District in 2017. The congressional district maps were redrawn after the 2020 census, meaning Gonzalez — now in District 34 — is not running with the incumbent advantage, despite being a sitting congressman.