Mayra Flores Learns a Lesson in Trumpism

Donald Trump made his choice in Texas's 34th Congressional District on December 18, and the fallout has been delicious. The former president endorsed Eric Flores, leaving his 2022 congressional candidate, Mayra Flores (who shares the surname but not the bloodline), fuming on the sidelines.

Mayra Flores wasted no time posting a clarification that screamed "we are NOT related" in everything but those exact words. Eric Flores, who worked as an assistant U.S. attorney from 2021 to 2025, has no familial connection to her. His father, former Democratic State Representative Kino Flores, was convicted in 2010 on six felony counts related to financial disclosure violations after accepting bribes and tampering with government records.

But Mayra didn't stop at family tree corrections. She came out swinging, linking Trump's endorsement to another presidential decision that left South Texas Republicans seething. "First, President Trump pardoned Democrat Henry Cuellar, and now he is endorsing a Biden DOJ appointee pretending to be MAGA," she wrote Thursday night. "South Texas isn't fooled as easily, and our campaign will stay focused on kitchen table issues and the many needs of the American people, not the political establishment in DC. We are unstoppable."

The Cuellar dig landed exactly where Mayra intended. On December 3, Trump pardoned the Democratic congressman from Laredo and his wife, who faced federal charges for allegedly accepting nearly $600,000 in bribes from an Azerbaijani oil company and a Mexican bank. Trump claimed the prosecution was politically motivated. The pardon strengthened Cuellar's reelection in a district Republicans had just redrawn to favor the GOP, infuriating party strategists who considered the seat a potential pickup.

Mayra Flores has built her entire brand on MAGA loyalty. "We don't need corrupt RINOs pretending to represent us," she posted earlier in December. "I stood by President Trump through thick and thin. He has endorsed me multiple times because I deliver results and loyalty, not empty promises." The implication hung thick: Eric Flores represents establishment corruption.

The endorsement represents a stunning reversal. Trump backed Mayra Flores in her successful 2022 special election when she became the first Mexican-born woman elected to Congress. That victory lasted six months. She lost to Democrat Vicente Gonzalez by nine points in November 2022, then lost again in 2024 by 51% to 49%, even as Trump carried the district. Now attempting a third run, she's been replaced by a candidate whose family ties to Democratic politics and service as a federal prosecutor during the Biden administration would typically disqualify him from MAGA consideration.

Eric Flores brings complications. While assistant U.S. attorneys are career civil servants rather than political appointees, his three years under the Biden administration gives Mayra ammunition. His father's corruption conviction adds another layer of irony. Trump endorsed someone connected to pay-to-play schemes while Mayra touts anti-corruption credentials. The kind of cognitive dissonance that defines modern Republican primaries.

Both candidates claim authentic conservatism, but their paths diverge completely. Mayra built her brand on outsider status. Eric leverages his Army veteran credentials and law enforcement background despite his establishment pedigree. Trump's endorsement calculus has always favored transactions over ideology. What led him to abandon a devotee who literally worshipped him remains unclear. Mayra's social media radiates the frustration of someone who followed all the rules only to watch someone else claim the prize.

Nine Republicans are competing for the nomination to face Gonzalez in a district Republicans redrew to be significantly more favorable. Under the new lines, Trump would have won by ten points rather than the four he actually captured in 2024. All that redistricting work, and Republicans still can't agree on a candidate.

@Santitos

@salinasmariasantos

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