Primary Election: U.S. Representative, District 34

RIO GRANDE VALLEY, Texas (ValleyCentral) — ValleyCentral will be bringing live, up-to-date results on the race for the U.S. House, District 34.

The 34th District of Texas encompasses eastern Hidalgo County and all of Cameron, Kenedy, Kleberg and Willacy Counties.

Incumbent Vicente Gonzalez will be running unopposed on the democratic side, while some familiar faces will face off on the Republican ticket.

The ERepublican ticket will feature Mayra Flores, Mauro Garza, Laura Cisneros and Gregory Scott Kunkle Jr.

Republican ticket

Mayra Flores won a special election in 2022 after Filemon Vela Jr. announced his resignation. Flores defeated Democrat Dan Sanchez, becoming the first Mexican-born woman to serve in Congress. In a January interview with Flores, the former congresswoman said she does not seem too concerned about her primary opponents.

Mauro Garza is a business man and native Texan. His campaign focuses on family values, faith and the values of Texans. A former employee for the Texas Commission on Alcohol and Drug Abuse, Garza helped establish the first Lower Rio Grande Valley Council on Alcohol and Drug Abuse that served the Lower Rio Grande Valley.

Dr. Laura Cisneros is an oncologist based in Harlingen, Texas. Cisneros faced off against Gonzalez in the 2022 Democratic primary, where she received the second highest amount of votes, but losing to Gonzalez by more than 40%. On her Facebook page, Cisneros shared that she has been opposed to excessive, unfair increases in property taxes "from the beginning."

Gregory Scott Kunkle Jr. describes himself as a proud American, God-fearing father and says he was born and raised in the 34th district, his campaign page states. His campaign is based on the idea of "putting family first," in both economic policy, security and education. His campaign page states that there is a war for our children, and people must be ready to defend conservative values from the media, Hollywood and some public schools.

Democratic ticket

Vicente Gonzalez is serving his fourth term in the U.S. Congress, after being elected to the 34th District of Texas in 2023. Gonzalez previously served the 15th congressional district, beginning in 2017. Gonzalez, who is a lifetime resident of South Texas, earned a Juris Doctorate degree from Texas Wesleyan University School of Law, before opening his law practice in 1997.