Difference between revisions of "Pete Flores"
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{{Infobox officeholder | {{Infobox officeholder | ||
| name=Peter Paul "Pete" Flores | | name=Peter Paul "Pete" Flores | ||
| − | | image= | + | | image=Pete Flores TX.jpg |
| office=Texas State Senator for District 19 | | office=Texas State Senator for District 19 | ||
| term_start=September 2018 | | term_start=September 2018 | ||
| − | | term_end= | + | | term_end=January 2021 |
| preceded=[[Carlos Uresti]] | | preceded=[[Carlos Uresti]] | ||
| + | |succeeded=Roland Gutierrez | ||
| party=[[Republican Party|Republican]] | | party=[[Republican Party|Republican]] | ||
| birth_date=January 30, 1960 | | birth_date=January 30, 1960 | ||
| − | | birth_place= | + | | birth_place=Place of birth missing |
| residence=Pleasanton, Atascosa County | | residence=Pleasanton, Atascosa County | ||
| spouse=Elizabeth Flores | | spouse=Elizabeth Flores | ||
| Line 16: | Line 17: | ||
[[Texas A&M University]] | [[Texas A&M University]] | ||
| occupation=Retired state game warden | | occupation=Retired state game warden | ||
| − | }} | + | }} |
| − | '''Peter Paul Flores''', known as '''Pete Flores''' (born January 30, 1960),<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.mylife.com/peter-flores/pf73325293gw|title=Peter Flores|publisher=Mylife.com|accessdate=August 1, 2018}}</ref> is the | + | |
| + | '''Peter Paul Flores''', known as '''Pete Flores''' (born January 30, 1960),<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.mylife.com/peter-flores/pf73325293gw|title=Peter Flores|publisher=Mylife.com|accessdate=August 1, 2018}}</ref> is the [[Republican Party|Republican]] departing state senator for District 19 who resides in Pleasanton in Atascosa County, [[Texas]], Flores won a special election on September 18, 2018, to fill the vacancy created by the resignation of the scandal-plagued [[Democratic Party|Democrat]] [[Carlos Uresti]], a [[lawyer]] from [[San Antonio]]. Flores is the first Republican to hold this district since [[Reconstruction]] though the district has been re-configured numerous times in recent decades.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.breitbart.com/texas/2018/09/20/texas-republican-wins-senate-seat-after-140-years-of-democrat-control/|author=Bob Price|title=Texas Republican Wins Senate Seat after 140 Years of Democrat Control|publisher=''Breitbart News''|date=September 20, 2018|accessdate=December 4, 2020}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.foxnews.com/politics/2018/09/20/texas-republican-wins-state-senate-race-in-district-held-by-democrats-for-139-years.html|author=Lukas Mikelioniss|date=September 20, 2018|title=Texas Republican wins state Senate race in district held by Democrats for 139 years|publisher=[[Fox News]]|accessdate=December 4, 2020}}</ref> | ||
On June 19, 2018, Uresti resigned from the Senate. [[Governor]] [[Greg Abbott]] then called a special election for July 31 to fill the five months remaining in the term. Uresti had urged that the seat remain vacant pending a special election for November 6, the date of the national congressional elections when Democratic turnout was expected to be much higher than it would be for a special election..<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.bizjournals.com/sanantonio/news/2018/06/20/gov-abbott-calls-for-july-election-to-fill-state.html|title=Gov. Abbott calls for July election to fill state senate seat|publisher=''San Antonio Business Journal''|author=Sergio Chapa|date=June 20, 2018|accessdate=June 21, 2018}}</ref> A week later, Uresti was sentenced to twelve years imprisonment followed by three years of supervised release.<ref name=ksat>{{cite web|url=https://www.ksat.com/news/former-state-sen-uresti-to-be-sentenced-in-fraud-case-on-tuesday|title=Former State Sen. Carlos Uresti sentenced to 12 years in prison: Uresti found guilty of eleven felonies relating to fraud, money laundering|publisher=KSAT Television|author=Ben Spicer|date=June 26, 2018|accessdate=June 29, 2018}}</ref>U.S. District Judge David Ezra ruled that Uresti could remain free on bond until the conclusion of a federal bribery charge in Reeves County. That trial is scheduled to begin on October 28, 2018.<br> | On June 19, 2018, Uresti resigned from the Senate. [[Governor]] [[Greg Abbott]] then called a special election for July 31 to fill the five months remaining in the term. Uresti had urged that the seat remain vacant pending a special election for November 6, the date of the national congressional elections when Democratic turnout was expected to be much higher than it would be for a special election..<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.bizjournals.com/sanantonio/news/2018/06/20/gov-abbott-calls-for-july-election-to-fill-state.html|title=Gov. Abbott calls for July election to fill state senate seat|publisher=''San Antonio Business Journal''|author=Sergio Chapa|date=June 20, 2018|accessdate=June 21, 2018}}</ref> A week later, Uresti was sentenced to twelve years imprisonment followed by three years of supervised release.<ref name=ksat>{{cite web|url=https://www.ksat.com/news/former-state-sen-uresti-to-be-sentenced-in-fraud-case-on-tuesday|title=Former State Sen. Carlos Uresti sentenced to 12 years in prison: Uresti found guilty of eleven felonies relating to fraud, money laundering|publisher=KSAT Television|author=Ben Spicer|date=June 26, 2018|accessdate=June 29, 2018}}</ref>U.S. District Judge David Ezra ruled that Uresti could remain free on bond until the conclusion of a federal bribery charge in Reeves County. That trial is scheduled to begin on October 28, 2018.<br> | ||
| − | Eight candidates, including Uresti's brother, Tomas Uresti, | + | Eight candidates, including Uresti's brother, Tomas Uresti, state Representative Roland Gutierrez of San Antonio, former state Representative and [[U.S. Representative]] Pete Gallego, former congressional candidate Charles Urbina Jones, and Flores<filed for the special election to fill's seat.<ref name=ksat/><ref>Jasper Scherer, "Pair of Democrats aim for Uresti's Senate seat", ''The San Antonio Express-News'', April 7, 2018, pp. 1, A11.</ref> |
| − | + | ||
| − | A retired game warden from Pleasanton in Atascosa County, Flores had lost to Uresti in the 2016 general election. He narrowly led in the first round of the special election but finished short of a majority. In the forthcoming runoff election, Pete Flores faced Democrat Pete Gallego, who now lives with his wife in [[Austin]] but pays utilities and is still registered to vote in his native Alpine in Brewster County. Flores polled 8,965 votes (34.5 percent) to Gallego's 5,406 (32.5 percent). Roland Gutierrez finished third with a critical 4,4431 votes (26.6 percent.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://enrpages.sos.state.tx.us/public/jul31_330_state.htm?x=0&y=0&id=236|title=Election returns|date=July 31, 2018|publisher=Texas Secretary of State|accessdate=July 31, 2018}}</ref> Flores faced daunting prospects because the total Republican vote in the special election, 36.1 percent, was far from a majority of the ballots cast.<ref>Gilbert Garcia, "GOP has special-election hopes for seat held by Uresti | + | A retired game warden from Pleasanton in Atascosa County, Flores had lost to Uresti in the 2016 general election. He narrowly led in the first round of the special election but finished short of a majority. In the forthcoming runoff election, Pete Flores faced Democrat Pete Gallego, who now lives with his wife in [[Austin]] but pays utilities and is still registered to vote in his native Alpine in Brewster County. Flores polled 8,965 votes (34.5 percent) to Gallego's 5,406 (32.5 percent). Roland Gutierrez finished third with a critical 4,4431 votes (26.6 percent.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://enrpages.sos.state.tx.us/public/jul31_330_state.htm?x=0&y=0&id=236|title=Election returns|date=July 31, 2018|publisher=Texas Secretary of State|accessdate=July 31, 2018}}</ref> Flores faced daunting prospects because the total Republican vote in the special election, 36.1 percent, was far from a majority of the ballots cast.<ref>Gilbert Garcia, "GOP has special-election hopes for seat held by Uresti," ''San Antonio Express News'', March 11, 2018, p. 2.</ref><ref>Jasper Scherer, "Pair of Democrats aim for Uresti's Senate seat", ''The San Antonio Express-News'', April 7, 2018, pp. 1, A11.</ref> |
| − | + | ||
| − | Considered more liberal than Flores, Gallego carried the endorsement of the usually independent ''Laredo Morning Times,'' despite Flores having been reared in [[Laredo]], graduated from Martin High School there, and attended the former Laredo Junior College (since Laredo College). | + | Considered more liberal than Flores, Gallego carried the endorsement of the usually independent ''Laredo Morning Times,'' despite Flores having been reared in [[Laredo]], graduated from Martin High School there, and attended the former Laredo Junior College (since Laredo College). In its support for Gallego, the ''Laredo Morning Times'' noted that Gallego had opposed the 2017 "bathroom bill" that would have required transgender Texans to use the public rest room according to their genitalia at birth. Though the measure was blocked from a vote in the state House by retiring Speaker [[Joe Straus]] of San Antonio, Flores still supports it because numerous crimes have been reported involving transgenders in rest rooms. Gallego also opposes the sanctuary cities bill, which was passed into law. That legislation, he claims, alienates law enforcement from the immigrant community, but Flores supports the sanctuary cities law because law-enforcement officers are sworn to uphold all laws. Governor Abbott dispatched the Department of Public Safety at an estimated cost of $800 million over two years to help federal officials secure the border. Gallego claims that those funds would have been better spent on public education.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.lmtonline.com/opinion/editorials/article/Gallego-earns-nod-in-SD19-runoff-race-13213595.php?utm_campaign=hptexas|title=Gallego earns nod in Senate District 19 runoff race|publisher=''The Laredo Morning Times''|accessdate=September 9, 2018}}</ref> |
| − | + | ||
| − | With final results on September 18, Flores scored an unexpected upset over Gallego in a year in which Texas Democrats confidently expect to ride a blue wave to major victories on November 6, including possibly upsetting [[U.S. Senator]] [[Ted Cruz]] with their nominee, [[Beto O'Rourke]] of [[El Paso]]. In the second part of the balloting, Flores polled 23,576 votes (53 percent); Gallego, 20,911 (47 percent). Flores' victory was assured with his 81 percent margin in Medina County, 72 percent in his own Atascosa County, and his 64 percent in Uvalde County, all near San Antonio. Gallego carried the Bexar County precincts with nearly 54 percent of the vote, but the margin was insufficient for him to overcome Flores district-wide.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://enrpages.sos.state.tx.us/public/sep18_332_state.htm?x=0&y=0&id=107|title=2018 Special Runoff Election Returns|publisher=Texas Secretary of State|accesdate=September 19, 2018}}</ref> Flores' term | + | With final results on September 18, Flores scored an unexpected upset over Gallego in a year in which Texas Democrats confidently expect to ride a blue wave to major victories on November 6, including possibly upsetting [[U.S. Senator]] [[Ted Cruz]] with their nominee, [[Beto O'Rourke]] of [[El Paso]]. In the second part of the balloting, Flores polled 23,576 votes (53 percent); Gallego, 20,911 (47 percent). Flores' victory was assured with his 81 percent margin in Medina County, 72 percent in his own Atascosa County, and his 64 percent in Uvalde County, all near San Antonio. Gallego carried the Bexar County precincts with nearly 54 percent of the vote, but the margin was insufficient for him to overcome Flores district-wide.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://enrpages.sos.state.tx.us/public/sep18_332_state.htm?x=0&y=0&id=107|title=2018 Special Runoff Election Returns|publisher=Texas Secretary of State|accesdate=September 19, 2018}}</ref> Flores' term expired in January 2021; like [[Donald Trump|President Trump]], he faced reelection in 2020. |
| + | |||
| + | In his bid for a full term on November 3, 2020, Flores was unseated by Democrat Roland Gutierrez, who had been one of the losing candidates in the special election in 2018. Gutierrez polled 156,741 votes (51.7 percent) to Flores' 146,395 (48.3 percent).<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.tpr.org/news/2020-11-04/roland-gutierrez-win-over-pete-flores-wins-brings-senate-district-19-back-to-democrats|title=Roland Gutierrez win over Pete Flores brings Senate District 19 back to Democrats|publisher=Texas Public Radio|date=November 4, 2020|author=Carson Frame|accessdate=December 4, 2020}}</ref> | ||
==References== | ==References== | ||
{{reflist}} | {{reflist}} | ||
| − | + | ||
{{DEFAULTSORT:Flores, Pete}} | {{DEFAULTSORT:Flores, Pete}} | ||
[[Category:Texas]] | [[Category:Texas]] | ||
| Line 38: | Line 42: | ||
[[Category:Republicans]] | [[Category:Republicans]] | ||
[[Category:Conservatives]] | [[Category:Conservatives]] | ||
| − | |||
Revision as of 19:05, December 18, 2020
| Peter Paul "Pete" Flores | |
 | |
Texas State Senator for District 19
| |
| In office September 2018 – January 2021 | |
| Preceded by | Carlos Uresti |
|---|---|
| Succeeded by | Roland Gutierrez |
| Born | January 30, 1960 Place of birth missing |
| Political party | Republican |
| Spouse(s) | Elizabeth Flores |
| Children | Two children |
| Residence | Pleasanton, Atascosa County |
| Alma mater | Laredo Martin High School Laredo Junior College |
| Occupation | Retired state game warden |
Peter Paul Flores, known as Pete Flores (born January 30, 1960),[1] is the Republican departing state senator for District 19 who resides in Pleasanton in Atascosa County, Texas, Flores won a special election on September 18, 2018, to fill the vacancy created by the resignation of the scandal-plagued Democrat Carlos Uresti, a lawyer from San Antonio. Flores is the first Republican to hold this district since Reconstruction though the district has been re-configured numerous times in recent decades.[2][3]
On June 19, 2018, Uresti resigned from the Senate. Governor Greg Abbott then called a special election for July 31 to fill the five months remaining in the term. Uresti had urged that the seat remain vacant pending a special election for November 6, the date of the national congressional elections when Democratic turnout was expected to be much higher than it would be for a special election..[4] A week later, Uresti was sentenced to twelve years imprisonment followed by three years of supervised release.[5]U.S. District Judge David Ezra ruled that Uresti could remain free on bond until the conclusion of a federal bribery charge in Reeves County. That trial is scheduled to begin on October 28, 2018.
Eight candidates, including Uresti's brother, Tomas Uresti, state Representative Roland Gutierrez of San Antonio, former state Representative and U.S. Representative Pete Gallego, former congressional candidate Charles Urbina Jones, and Flores<filed for the special election to fill's seat.[5][6]
A retired game warden from Pleasanton in Atascosa County, Flores had lost to Uresti in the 2016 general election. He narrowly led in the first round of the special election but finished short of a majority. In the forthcoming runoff election, Pete Flores faced Democrat Pete Gallego, who now lives with his wife in Austin but pays utilities and is still registered to vote in his native Alpine in Brewster County. Flores polled 8,965 votes (34.5 percent) to Gallego's 5,406 (32.5 percent). Roland Gutierrez finished third with a critical 4,4431 votes (26.6 percent.[7] Flores faced daunting prospects because the total Republican vote in the special election, 36.1 percent, was far from a majority of the ballots cast.[8][9]
Considered more liberal than Flores, Gallego carried the endorsement of the usually independent Laredo Morning Times, despite Flores having been reared in Laredo, graduated from Martin High School there, and attended the former Laredo Junior College (since Laredo College). In its support for Gallego, the Laredo Morning Times noted that Gallego had opposed the 2017 "bathroom bill" that would have required transgender Texans to use the public rest room according to their genitalia at birth. Though the measure was blocked from a vote in the state House by retiring Speaker Joe Straus of San Antonio, Flores still supports it because numerous crimes have been reported involving transgenders in rest rooms. Gallego also opposes the sanctuary cities bill, which was passed into law. That legislation, he claims, alienates law enforcement from the immigrant community, but Flores supports the sanctuary cities law because law-enforcement officers are sworn to uphold all laws. Governor Abbott dispatched the Department of Public Safety at an estimated cost of $800 million over two years to help federal officials secure the border. Gallego claims that those funds would have been better spent on public education.[10]
With final results on September 18, Flores scored an unexpected upset over Gallego in a year in which Texas Democrats confidently expect to ride a blue wave to major victories on November 6, including possibly upsetting U.S. Senator Ted Cruz with their nominee, Beto O'Rourke of El Paso. In the second part of the balloting, Flores polled 23,576 votes (53 percent); Gallego, 20,911 (47 percent). Flores' victory was assured with his 81 percent margin in Medina County, 72 percent in his own Atascosa County, and his 64 percent in Uvalde County, all near San Antonio. Gallego carried the Bexar County precincts with nearly 54 percent of the vote, but the margin was insufficient for him to overcome Flores district-wide.[11] Flores' term expired in January 2021; like President Trump, he faced reelection in 2020.
In his bid for a full term on November 3, 2020, Flores was unseated by Democrat Roland Gutierrez, who had been one of the losing candidates in the special election in 2018. Gutierrez polled 156,741 votes (51.7 percent) to Flores' 146,395 (48.3 percent).[12]
References
- ↑ Peter Flores. Mylife.com. Retrieved on August 1, 2018.
- ↑ Bob Price (September 20, 2018). Texas Republican Wins Senate Seat after 140 Years of Democrat Control. Breitbart News. Retrieved on December 4, 2020.
- ↑ Lukas Mikelioniss (September 20, 2018). Texas Republican wins state Senate race in district held by Democrats for 139 years. Fox News. Retrieved on December 4, 2020.
- ↑ Sergio Chapa (June 20, 2018). Gov. Abbott calls for July election to fill state senate seat. San Antonio Business Journal. Retrieved on June 21, 2018.
- ↑ 5.0 5.1 Ben Spicer (June 26, 2018). Former State Sen. Carlos Uresti sentenced to 12 years in prison: Uresti found guilty of eleven felonies relating to fraud, money laundering. KSAT Television. Retrieved on June 29, 2018.
- ↑ Jasper Scherer, "Pair of Democrats aim for Uresti's Senate seat", The San Antonio Express-News, April 7, 2018, pp. 1, A11.
- ↑ Election returns. Texas Secretary of State (July 31, 2018). Retrieved on July 31, 2018.
- ↑ Gilbert Garcia, "GOP has special-election hopes for seat held by Uresti," San Antonio Express News, March 11, 2018, p. 2.
- ↑ Jasper Scherer, "Pair of Democrats aim for Uresti's Senate seat", The San Antonio Express-News, April 7, 2018, pp. 1, A11.
- ↑ Gallego earns nod in Senate District 19 runoff race. The Laredo Morning Times. Retrieved on September 9, 2018.
- ↑ 2018 Special Runoff Election Returns. Texas Secretary of State.
- ↑ Carson Frame (November 4, 2020). Roland Gutierrez win over Pete Flores brings Senate District 19 back to Democrats. Texas Public Radio. Retrieved on December 4, 2020.
