Retired game warden and newcomer, Pete Flores won a runoff election defeating Pete Gallego (D) for a Texas Senate seat, a seat heald by Democrats for over 139 years.
“We conservatives are conservative in the way we make approaches. The gunfight’s not over until the last shot’s fired,” Flores told the Express-News after Gallego conceded in a phone call just before 9 p.m. “The last shot’s been fired.”
Flores mentioned in this victory speech.
“This district has not been Republican since Reconstruction. And in September of 2018, it’s Republican once again,” Flores told supporters. “The work starts tomorrow.”
Mark Jones, a professor of political science at Rice University said Flores’ victory all but assured a Republican supermajority next year, which would allow Senate Republicans to bring bills to the floor without any Democratic support
“Tonight, I doubt anyone other than Pete Flores is happier than Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick,” Jones said.
Indeed, Patrick was jubilant at Flores’ victory party at Don Pedro’s restaurant on San Antonio’s Southwest Side.
“Tonight, you all just made history,” Patrick told supporters. “For the first time in history, we have 21 Republican senators. For the first time in history, we have a Hispanic Republican senator.”
Patrick, who spent around $175,000 on Flores’ campaign, said the supermajority was secured Tuesday night.
“This guy gives us a two-thirds majority,” he said.
Late Tuesday, the Republican Party of Texas also touted Flores’ win.
