Republican Representative Mayra Flores lashed out at GOP voters for failing to make the projected "red wave" Republican legislators and pollsters were counting on to regain control of Congress following the midterm elections.
At this moment, control of Congress hangs in the balance and will come down to contests in Nevada, Arizona and Georgia, where some races are still too close to call.
These developments angered Flores, who lost her seat to Democrat Vicente Gonzales and complained the "RED WAVE did not happen" because "Republicans and Independents stayed home."
She added:
"DO NOT COMPLAIN ABOUT THE RESULTS IF YOU DID NOT DO YOUR PART!"
You can see her tweet below.
\u201cThe RED WAVE did not happen. Republicans and Independents stayed home. DO NOT COMPLAIN ABOUT THE RESULTS IF YOU DID NOT DO YOUR PART!\u201d— Mayra Flores (@Mayra Flores) 1667971665
Before her congressional campaign, Flores worked as a respiratory therapist and as chair of Hispanic outreach for the Hidalgo County Republican Party.
In June 2022, a special election in Texas' 34th congressional district was held after Democratic Representative Filemon Vela Jr. resigned. Flores won the election, defeating three other candidates.
However, she was defeated in her campaign for a full term in the midterms by Gonzales in the 34th congressional district, which was redrawn this year to include heavily Democratic areas of San Antonio.
Her loss is especially bruising because she pledged fealty to former Republican President Donald Trump and openly embraced his falsehoods that the 2020 general election had been stolen.
Indeed, Flores used her platform during her short time in Congress to advance election fraud claims and made headlines after she called the Supreme Court's decision in Dobbs v. Jackson Women's Health Organization—which overturned long-established precedent on reproductive rights—a "big win" and a "dream come true."
Many have criticized Flores since she posted her tweet.
\u201cThey didn't stay home. You just aren't the majority you think you are. Conservativism will always be the party of extinction. Progress will always move forward. While y'all dig your heals and cling to stagnation, we will keep leaving you behind in the past where you belong.\u201d— Ryan-El (@Ryan-El) 1667997735
\u201cYou heard it folks, the Red Wave was just another @GOP lie\u201d— Amanda (@Amanda) 1667988541
\u201cShe is not coping well \ud83d\udc80\u201d— Lynx \ud83d\udc9b (@Lynx \ud83d\udc9b) 1667972919
\u201cRepublican Mayra Flores winning a special election in June was touted as a massive GOP gain by Fox News and Kevin McCarthy. The good times didn't last long -- she lost tonight.\u201d— Aaron Rupar (@Aaron Rupar) 1667973008
\u201cMayra Flores needs a blue tissue ;)\u201d— The Astute Galoot (@The Astute Galoot) 1667974739
\u201cwhat a concession speech\u201d— Ryan James Girdusky (@Ryan James Girdusky) 1667997887
\u201cNow-defeated @GOP Rep. Mayra Flores already laying into her fellow Republicans after a humiliating loss tonight.\u201d— Max Burns (@Max Burns) 1667973064
\u201cTrumpeted as a huge GOP win, a mere four months ago, and a sign of the coming red tsunami by Fox, she\u2019s out tonight. This is definitely not going to script. ~AA\u201d— Best for Britain (@Best for Britain) 1667973253
\u201cRep. Mayra Flores (R-TX) isn't taking her loss well...\u201d— The Recount (@The Recount) 1667972668
When Flores won the special election back in June, it was the first time her congressional district had ever elected a Republican, and her victory was praised by GOP leadership as a sign that Latino voters were moving ever further to the right.
However, her loss indicates that voters were less enthralled with her and her commitment to election denial, "America First," and other Republican talking points that prompted the New York Times to identify her as Congress' "far-right Latina."