Changes

Flores, a retired game warden from Pleasanton in Wilson County south of Antonio who lost to Uresti in the 2016 general election, narrowly led in the special election but finished short of a majority. In the forthcoming runoff election, Pete Flores faces Democrat Pete Gallego, a former [[U.S. Representative]] and state representativee who now lives with his wife in [[Austin]] but pays utilities and is still registered to vote in his native Alpine. 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 faces daunting prospects because the total Republican vote in the special election, 36.1 percent, is 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>

Flores, a retired game warden from Pleasanton in Wilson County south of Antonio who lost to Uresti in the 2016 general election, narrowly led in the special election but finished short of a majority. In the forthcoming runoff election, Pete Flores faces Democrat Pete Gallego, a former [[U.S. Representative]] and state representativee who now lives with his wife in [[Austin]] but pays utilities and is still registered to vote in his native Alpine. 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 faces daunting prospects because the total Republican vote in the special election, 36.1 percent, is 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>

Gallego, considered far more liberal than Flores, carries the endorsement of the usually independent ''Laredo Morning Times,'' which like Gallego opposed the proposed 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, Flores still supports it. 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>

Gallego, considered far more liberal than Flores, carries the endorsement of the usually independent ''Laredo Morning Times,'' which like Gallego opposed the proposed 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, Flores still supports it. 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>

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==References==