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In South Texas on Election Day, U.S. Rep. Vicente Gonzalez, D-McAllen, managed to outperform Kamala Harris, despite being significantly outspent by Republicans. As a result, Gonzalez has a few messages for his fellow Democrats in Congress.
Number one: Avoid instructing him on how to manage his affairs; he will handle his district in the manner he deems most suitable. And number two: Focus on addressing your own shortcomings.
In a recent interview with The Texas Tribune, the four-term Democratic congressman, known for his independent streak, criticized the Democratic playbook. He described the party’s focus on abortion this cycle as “lazy” and disconnected from the views of his predominantly Catholic district. He suggested that the party should, in certain situations, reconsider its stance on transgender rights, even if it means going against the Democratic base. Additionally, he argued that Democrats had not done enough to challenge Republicans on economic matters. Lastly, he expressed frustration with the party’s “incompetence” in understanding the key concerns of voters in districts like his own.
According to Gonzalez, the messaging and polling of the Democrats are not accurate. He believes that the Democratic polling has consistently been off by a significant margin in the past few election cycles. Gonzalez expressed his frustration with the situation, stating that it ultimately reflects incompetence. In his view, there is a need for a change in personnel within the party.
In this year’s election, Gonzalez emerged victorious in his fiercely contested South Texas district, stretching from the Mexican border in Brownsville to Corpus Christi along the Gulf Coast. Despite facing Republicans’ substantial campaign efforts, he managed to secure a victory by a margin of less than 3 percentage points. It is worth noting that Gonzalez outperformed Vice President Kamala Harris, who did not secure a single county in his district during her presidential bid.
Gonzalez, a member of Congress known for his conservative stance, has occasionally aligned with Republicans on matters concerning energy and the border. This has posed challenges for House Democratic leadership, as he has expressed reservations about President Joe Biden’s climate and infrastructure plans. Despite his initial concerns, Gonzalez eventually backed the legislation, as he believed it could have adverse effects on the energy interests of his district.
Gonzalez attributes his ability to maintain his position in Congress to his keen insight into the social conservatism of his district and his skill in discerning when it was necessary to deviate from the stance of the national party.
Gonzalez made it clear to the entire caucus that he would not be swayed by attempts to influence his decisions. He emphasized that he understands his district better than anyone else in the room. He believes that having his support 97% of the time is preferable to having his opponent’s support 100% of the time. Gonzalez stressed the importance of giving flexibility to frontline members, as nobody knows their districts better than they do.
During this election cycle, Republicans invested millions of dollars to back their candidate, former U.S. Rep. Mayra Flores. They saw Gonzalez’s tendency to make inappropriate comments, such as comparing Latino Trump supporters to “Jews for Hitler” in March, as a significant weakness.
The race for Texas’ U.S. House seat was one of the costliest this year. Flores, who had briefly represented the district in 2022 following a special election victory, invested more than $5.7 million in the campaign by mid-October.
Vicente Gonzalez’s supporters eagerly tuned in to watch the highly anticipated televised debate between him and his Republican challenger, Mayra Flores, in Rancho Viejo on October 17, 2024. The excitement and anticipation were palpable as they eagerly awaited the debate to begin.
The Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee and the House Majority PAC, which are the two largest outside spending groups for House races, have allocated more than $1 million towards advertisements that show their support for Gonzalez.
Gonzalez has a serious issue with the way both groups operated in his district. However, neither group responded to requests for comment.
Gonzalez believed that it was a mistake to place such a strong emphasis on abortion in a predominantly Catholic region. He argued that this strategy demonstrated a lack of understanding of the region by congressional Democrats, who relied on the issue simply because it was relevant during the 2022 midterms. Gonzalez pointed out that while abortion was a central theme in TV advertisements supported by national Democrats in his district, it failed to resonate with voters who were more preoccupied with the increasing cost of living.
Gonzalez expressed his dissatisfaction with the ad, stating, “Someone should be held accountable for running that ad in an 80% Catholic community where it targeted my opponent’s stance on abortion. The person responsible for this decision in South Texas should be dismissed, as they clearly lack an understanding of the district.”
In his office at the Cannon House Office Building in Washington, D.C., Congressman Gonzalez proudly displays a photograph of himself, his wife Lorena Saenz, President Joe Biden, and First Lady Jill Biden. The picture, along with other memorabilia, serves as a reminder of his commitment to public service.
Gonzalez recognized the potential of abortion as a valuable component of a successful strategy, emphasizing the need to focus the messaging on digital platforms and target young women, rather than relying solely on television ads. Despite this approach, Gonzalez did not shy away from addressing the issue of abortion when he debated Flores in October.
According to Gonzalez, Democrats in Texas made the mistake of putting too much emphasis on TV ads instead of prioritizing door knocking and engaging with voters.
Gonzalez expressed disappointment in the Democrats’ lack of a successful strategy to combat the anti-trans attacks employed by Republicans during the recent election cycle. The National Republican Congressional Committee and Senator Ted Cruz’s reelection campaign invested significant funds in running ads that accused Democrats of wanting to use taxpayer money to support gender transitions for children and to permit boys to participate in girls’ sports. These ads were heavily criticized by Democrats and LGBTQ+ rights advocates for spreading harmful misinformation about transgender youth.
Gonzalez bravely confronted the ads head-on by releasing his own counter ad to refute the Republicans’ claims. In the ad, he made it clear that he never supported tax-funded sex changes. He believes that more Democrats should have the courage to follow his example, even if it means facing criticism from the progressive base.
According to Gonzalez, it is important to safeguard all communities across America. However, there are certain issues that he disagrees with, such as the inclusion of boys and girls in the same bathrooms or boys participating in girls’ sports. He believes that it is necessary to openly express these concerns and that Democrats should not shy away from addressing these matters.
In the past, Gonzalez has been a strong advocate for pro-trans legislation. In 2021, he voted in favor of the Equality Act, a crucial piece of legislation aimed at safeguarding the rights of transgender individuals and preventing discrimination against them.
Republicans are ready to continue their assaults on transgender rights, fueled by the positive reaction from voters to their advertisements across the country. Meanwhile, Democrats are now facing the issue head-on with the impending swearing-in of Rep.-elect Sarah McBride of Delaware, who will become the first transgender member of Congress in January. In response, Republican Rep. Nancy Mace of South Carolina has proposed a bill that aims to prohibit McBride from utilizing the women’s restrooms or locker rooms in the Capitol complex.
Gonzalez was asked about his stance on Mace’s bill and he responded by saying, “That’s a very tough conversation that Democrats need to have. At the end of the day, we have to vote according to our district and what we truly believe. Personally, I don’t believe that boys should be allowed in girls’ bathrooms.” However, he did not indicate how he would vote on the bill.
McBride has made a commitment to refrain from using women’s restrooms and has emphasized that her gender should not be a source of disruption. It’s worth noting that all members of Congress have access to private bathrooms. However, she has chosen not to comment on Gonzalez’s remarks.
According to Gonzalez, Democrats missed an opportunity by not investing in attack ads against Republican candidates who advocate for cutting Social Security, Medicare, and Title I funding for schools in low-income communities. Republicans, on the other hand, have portrayed Democrats as supporters of defunding the police. It is worth noting that South Texas Republicans have denied any intention to reduce funding for these programs.
Gonzalez also expressed his disappointment with Democrat Michelle Vallejo’s campaign, in which she challenged U.S. Rep. Monica De La Cruz in the 15th Congressional District. Despite receiving support from the DCCC and investment from the House Majority PAC, Vallejo suffered double-digit losses in both the 2022 and 2024 elections. In the 2022 campaign, Vallejo emphasized progressive issues such as reproductive rights and healthcare accessibility. However, in the most recent election cycle, she attempted to moderate her stance, but was unable to narrow the gap or secure a victory.
According to Gonzalez, winning in this district requires a moderate Democrat. He believes that it can be challenging for someone who was initially seen as a progressive candidate to appeal to the voters in this district. Turning the clock back on one’s campaign promises is no easy task.
Vallejo, however, showed promising progress by surpassing Harris in her district by a margin of seven percentage points. As of now, Vallejo has chosen not to provide any comments on the matter.
Representing the 15th Congressional District for six years, Gonzalez moved to the 34th district in 2022 after redistricting. Gonzalez explained that then-DCCC Chair Sean Patrick Maloney wanted him, a well-funded incumbent, to remain in the more competitive 15th District to increase Democrats’ chances of retaining all their South Texas seats. However, Gonzalez defended his decision, stating that his home was included in the new 34th district, and he had to prioritize his own race.
Gonzalez believes that Democrats can maintain their grip on South Texas, despite the significant resources being poured into the region by Republicans. He is optimistic about this prospect, pointing out that the Republican candidates, such as Flores and De La Cruz, lack the necessary credentials and qualifications.
De La Cruz, who achieved better results than Trump in her district, responded to Gonzalez’s remarks with a statement. “It’s quite amusing that he would say that, especially considering that I successfully drove him out of this district and he has failed to perform well in the past three elections,” De La Cruz commented. “While he can choose to be petty, I will continue to step up and deliver positive outcomes for the people of South Texas.”
According to Gonzalez, Flores’ victory in the 2022 special election was a “fluke”. He believes that she only won because Republicans invested a large sum of money into the special election, while national Democrats did not give it much attention.
Delanie Bomar, a spokesperson for the National Republican Congressional Committee, House Republicans’ campaign arm, responded to Vicente Gonzalez’s self-delusion as the ground shifts underneath him with a confident tone. She stated, “We welcome Vicente Gonzalez’s self-delusion as the ground shifts underneath him. Donald Trump romped across South Texas. It’s only a matter of time before those same voters toss Gonzalez from office, too.”
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