Special Election to be Held to Fill Vela’s House Seat

AUSTIN, Texas — Following the announcement that Rep. Filemón Vela, D-Texas, would vacate his seat in the House of Representatives to join a lobbying firm in Washington, D.C., Texas Gov. Greg Abbott set June 14 as the date for an emergency special election to serve out the unexpired term.

The Well News previously reported Vela would not seek reelection but he decided to resign last week, opening his seat up and setting in motion the June special election. A five-term congressman, Vela represented Texas’s 34th Congressional District since its creation following the 2012 general election and served on the House Committees on Agriculture and Armed Services.

“I write to inform you that I have notified Texas Governor Greg Abbott of my resignation from the U.S. House of Representatives, effective today at 11:59 PM EST,” Vela wrote in a letter to House Speaker Nancy Pelosi on Thursday, March 31.

“It has been a profound honor to represent the people of the 34th Congressional District of Texas for the last nine years, and my distinct pleasure to serve under your leadership.”

Abbott said in a statement announcing the emergency election on Monday that candidates have until April 13 to file their intent to run for the seat. The district encompasses the southern border town of Brownsville and extends north to the east of San Antonio.

Republicans are determined to make inroads in the predominantly Hispanic region after President Joe Biden underperformed in the region during the 2020 general election. Hidalgo County GOP Hispanic Outreach Chair Mayra Flores said she will run in the special election after already obtaining her party’s nomination for the district in the March primary.

Rep. Vicente Gonzalez, D-Texas, who currently represents the 15th Congressional District, switched his reelection bid to the 34th District and advanced from the Democratic primary last month. Gonzalez will not resign from his current office to run in the special election.

Whoever wins the special election in June will hold the seat until the November general election when it will be decided who will represent the district for the next two years. Early voting for the special election will begin on May 3, according to Abbott’s announcement.

Reece can be reached at [email protected].