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'''Peter Paul Flores''', known as '''Pete 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> is the newest member of the Texas State Senate. A [[Republican Party|Republican]] from Pleasanton in Atascosa County, [[Texas]], Flores won a special election on September 18, 2018, to fill the vacancy created by the resignation of the scandal-plagued [[Democratic Party|Democrat]] [[Carlos Uresti]], a [[lawyer]] from [[San Antonio]]. Flores is the first Republican to hold this district since [[Reconstruction]] though the district has been re-configured numerous times in recent decades.

'''Peter Paul Flores''', known as '''Pete 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> is the newest member of the Texas State Senate. A [[Republican Party|Republican]] from Pleasanton in Atascosa County, [[Texas]], Flores won a special election on September 18, 2018, to fill the vacancy created by the resignation of the scandal-plagued [[Democratic Party|Democrat]] [[Carlos Uresti]], a [[lawyer]] from [[San Antonio]]. Flores is the first Republican to hold this district since [[Reconstruction]] though the district has been re-configured numerous times in recent decades. On June 19, 2018, Uresti resigned from the Senate. [[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 when Democratic turnout was expected to be much higher than it would be for a special election..<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.<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 from the Senate. [[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 when Democratic turnout was expected to be much higher than it would be for a special election..<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.<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.

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

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

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, including possibly upsetting [[U.S. Senator]] [[Ted Cruz]] with their nominee, [[Beto O'Rourke]] of [[El Paso]]. In the second part of the balloting, Flores polled 23,576 votes (53 percent); Gallego, 20,911 (47 percent). Flores' victory was assured with his 81 percent margin in Medina County, 72 percent in his own Atascosa County, and his 64 percent in Uvalde County, all near San Antonio. Gallego carried the Bexar County precincts with nearly 54 percent of the vote, 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 19, 2018}}</ref> Flores' term will expire in January 2021; like [[Donald Trump|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, including possibly upsetting [[U.S. Senator]] [[Ted Cruz]] with their nominee, [[Beto O'Rourke]] of [[El Paso]]. In the second part of the balloting, Flores polled 23,576 votes (53 percent); Gallego, 20,911 (47 percent). Flores' victory was assured with his 81 percent margin in Medina County, 72 percent in his own Atascosa County, and his 64 percent in Uvalde County, all near San Antonio. Gallego carried the Bexar County precincts with nearly 54 percent of the vote, 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 19, 2018}}</ref> Flores' term will expire in January 2021; like [[Donald Trump|President Trump]], he faces reelection in 2020.

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