Changes

| term_end=June 19, 2018 (resignation)

| term_end=June 19, 2018 (resignation)

| preceded=Frank Lloyd Madla, Jr.

| preceded=Frank Lloyd Madla, Jr.

| succeeded=[[Peter Flores]]

| succeeded=[[Pete Flores]]

|office2=Texas State Representative<br>for District 118 (Bexar County)

|office2=Texas State Representative<br>for District 118 (Bexar County)

| term_start2=January 1997

| term_start2=January 1997

On June 19, 2018, Uresti resigned his state Senate seat. [[Governor]] [[Greg Abbott]] 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.<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. Uresti will appeal the sentence.<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.

On June 19, 2018, Uresti resigned his state Senate seat. [[Governor]] [[Greg Abbott]] 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.<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. Uresti will appeal the sentence.<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.

Eight candidates, including Uresti's brother, Tomas Uresti, liberal state Representative Roland  Gutierrez of San Antonio, former U.S. Representative Pete Gallego, former congressional candidate Charles Urbina Jones, and [[Republican Party|Republican]] [[Peter 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> 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>

Eight candidates, including Uresti's brother, Tomas Uresti, liberal state Representative Roland  Gutierrez of San Antonio, former U.S. Representative Pete Gallego, former congressional candidate Charles Urbina Jones, and [[Republican Party|Republican]] [[Pete 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>

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>

A retired state game warden from Pleasanton in Atascosa County south of Antonio, Flores who lost to Uresti in the 2016 general election for the state Senate. He narrowly led in the 2018 special election but finished short of a majority. In the runoff election, Pete Flores faced 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 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>

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 more liberal than Flores, carried the endorsement of the usually independent ''Laredo Morning Times,'' though Flores was reared in [[Laredo]]. The newspaper like Gallego 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, 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. Flores polled 23,576 votes (53 percent); Gallego, 20,911 (47 percent). Flores' victory was assured with his 81 percent margin in Medina County and his 64 percent in Uvalde County, both west of San Antonio. Gallego carried the Bexar County precincts with nearly 54 percent, 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 18, 2018}}</ref>Flores' term will expire in January 2021; like President Trump, he faces reelection in 2020.

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. Flores polled 23,576 votes (53 percent); Gallego, 20,911 (47 percent). Flores' victory was assured with his 81 percent margin in Medina County and his 64 percent in Uvalde County, both west of San Antonio. Gallego carried the Bexar County precincts with nearly 54 percent, 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 18, 2018}}</ref>Flores' term will expire in January 2021; like President Trump, he faces reelection in 2020.

==References==

==References==

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