Texas' 34th Congressional District election, 2022 (March 1 Democratic primary)

Elections in Texas, 2022

• Primary date: March 1
• Mail-in registration deadline: Jan. 31
• Online reg. deadline: N/A
• In-person reg. deadline: Jan. 31

• Early voting starts: Feb. 14
• Early voting ends: Feb. 25
• Poll times: 7 a.m. to 7 p.m.
• Absentee/mail-in deadline: March 1

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2024 → ← 2020
Texas' 34th Congressional District
Democratic primary Republican primary General election
Election details
Filing deadline: December 13, 2021
Primary: March 1, 2022 Primary runoff: May 24, 2022 General: November 8, 2022 Pre-election incumbent: Mayra Flores (R)
How to vote
Poll times: 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. Voting in Texas
Race ratings
Cook Partisan Voter Index (2022): D+9 Cook Political Report: Toss-up Inside Elections: Toss-up Sabato's Crystal Ball: Lean Republican
Ballotpedia analysis
U.S. Senate battlegrounds U.S. House battlegrounds Federal and state primary competitiveness Ballotpedia's Election Analysis Hub, 2022
See also
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U.S. Rep. Vicente Gonzalez Jr. advanced from the Democratic Party primary in Texas' 34th Congressional District on March 1, 2022. Gonzalez, who represented Texas' 15th Congressional District, elected to run in the 34th District after redistricting. Gonzalez received 65% of the vote and Laura Cisneros was second with 23%.

Former incumbent Filemon Vela (D) announced in March 2021 that he would not for re-election and endorsed Gonzalez on October 27, 2021. Gonzalez was first elected to the U.S. House of Representatives in 2016.

Gonzalez's campaign website said that he supported increasing funding for Medicare, expanding Social Security to adjust for cost-of-living adjustments and inflation, and increasing funding for mental health and healthcare services for veterans. He said a goal of his was to create a full-service VA hospital in the Rio Grande Valley.

Beatriz Reynoso (D) and William Thompson (D) completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey. Click on a candidate's name to view that candidate's responses.

This page focuses on Texas' 34th Congressional District Democratic primary. For more in-depth information on the district's Republican primary and the general election, see the following pages:

• Texas' 34th Congressional District election, 2022 (March 1 Republican primary)
• Texas' 34th Congressional District election, 2022

Candidates and election results

Democratic primary election

Democratic primary for U.S. House Texas District 34

The following candidates ran in the Democratic primary for U.S. House Texas District 34 on March 1, 2022.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔		Vicente Gonzalez Jr.	64.8	23,531
		Laura Cisneros	23.3	8,456
		Beatriz Reynoso	3.5	1,287
		William Thompson	3.0	1,085
	Submit photo	Filemon Meza	2.5	920
		Diego Zavala	2.0	718
	Submit photo	Osbert Rodriguez Haro III	0.9	331

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	Incumbents are bolded and underlined. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 36,328
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey.
Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team.

Withdrawn or disqualified candidates

• Rochelle Garza (D)
• Jaime Rodriguez (D)
• Ryan Trevino (D)

Candidate comparison

Candidate profiles

This section includes candidate profiles that may be created in one of two ways: either the candidate completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey, or Ballotpedia staff may compile a profile based on campaign websites, advertisements, and public statements after identifying the candidate as noteworthy. For more on how we select candidates to include, click here.

Vicente Gonzalez Jr.

Party: Democratic Party

Incumbent: Yes

Political Office: 

U.S. House Texas District 15 (Assumed office: 2017)

Biography:  Gonzalez received his B.A. from Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University and his J.D. from Texas Wesleyan School of Law. Gonzalez worked as an attorney in private practice.

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Key Messages

The following key messages were curated by Ballotpedia staff. For more on how we identify key messages, click here.

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Gonzalez highlighted his previous experience as an attorney for consumers and said he would be an advocate for working families and consumers in Congress.

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Gonzalez supported increasing funding for Medicare and expanding Social Security to adjust for cost of living adjustments and inflation.

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Gonzalez supported increasing funding for mental health and healthcare services for veterans. He said a goal of his was to create a full-service VA hospital in the Rio Grande Valley.

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Show sources

Sources: Vicente Gonzalez's 2022 campaign website, "Issues," accessed January 27, 2022; Biographical Directory of the United States Congress, "GONZALEZ, Vicente Jr., (1967 - )," accessed January 27, 2022 ; Vicente Gonzalez's 2022 campaign website, "Meet Vicente," accessed January 27, 2022

This information was current as of the candidate's run for U.S. House Texas District 34 in 2022.

Beatriz Reynoso

Party: Democratic Party

Incumbent: No

Submitted Biography:  "I am a small business owner and Afghanistan veteran. I served in the Air Force for 8 years. I am the first in my family to earn a college degree. I have a BA in Political Science with a minor in legal studies from the University of Texas Rio Grande Valley, an AAS in Criminal Justice and AAS in Public Health Technology from the Community College of the Air Force. Growing up I experienced how bad policies affect children--poverty, hunger, and lack of infrastructure are policy choices. Our elected officials chose to let children suffer. I saw the wealth disparities in school and I knew I had to do something to prevent future generations from being victims of bad policy. Joining the military was the best way for me to escape poverty while gaining the experience to become a leader in my community. Because of the military, I was able to go to college, have healthcare, and buy a home but, we shouldn't have to go to war to have a decent quality of life. Everyone deserves healthcare and a good paying job without having to go in to thousands of dollars of debt. These are policy choices we can change and I plan to do that."

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Key Messages

To read this candidate's full survey responses, click here.

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Minimum wage has to be raised and workers rights have to be protected. No one has the right to exploit workers in the name of business.

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Healthcare is a human right and the profits of the Healthcare industry are not more important than the health of Americans no matter who much money they make or what illnesses they may have. When healthcare is tied to employment, employers will use it to exploit workers who go on strike for better working conditions.

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Government reform is a vital part of making the political process fair for everyone. Lobbyists spend millions of dollars influencing votes on important legislation like clean energy and expanding healthcare. Meanwhile, citizens only have our vote at the ballot box. Running for office is also difficult for citizens who don't have money to start a campaign. It shuts out candidates and reserves the political process for those who have money and corporate support.

This information was current as of the candidate's run for U.S. House Texas District 34 in 2022.

William Thompson

Party: Democratic Party

Incumbent: No

Submitted Biography:  "William Thompson was born and raised in south Texas. He is a Marine Corps veteran, serving in Afghanistan in 2009 and 2010. After his time in the military, he worked as a Cyber Operations Planner supporting the Department of Defense. He also worked as a Satellite Operations Planner supporting the Intelligence community. He became a teacher and taught high school students in south Texas. William met his wife, Martha, in Brownsville, TX. They currently have two children and one more on the way."

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Key Messages

To read this candidate's full survey responses, click here.

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Unlike many candidates, William Thompson was actually born and raised in the District he intends to represent.

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He served his county in the United States Marine Corps.

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He has the most National Security experience of any candidate running.

This information was current as of the candidate's run for U.S. House Texas District 34 in 2022.

Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey responses

Ballotpedia asks all federal, state, and local candidates to complete a survey and share what motivates them on political and personal levels. The section below shows responses from candidates in this race who completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey. Candidates are asked three required questions for this survey, but they may answer additional optional questions as well.

Survey responses from candidates in this race

Click on a candidate's name to visit their Ballotpedia page.

Note: Ballotpedia reserves the right to edit Candidate Connection survey responses. Any edits made by Ballotpedia will be clearly marked with [brackets] for the public. If the candidate disagrees with an edit, he or she may request the full removal of the survey response from Ballotpedia.org. Ballotpedia does not edit or correct typographical errors unless the candidate's campaign requests it.

Expand all | Collapse all

Please list below 3 key messages of your campaign. What are the main points you want voters to remember about your goals for your time in office?

Beatriz Reynoso (D)

Minimum wage has to be raised and workers rights have to be protected. No one has the right to exploit workers in the name of business.

Healthcare is a human right and the profits of the Healthcare industry are not more important than the health of Americans no matter who much money they make or what illnesses they may have. When healthcare is tied to employment, employers will use it to exploit workers who go on strike for better working conditions.

Government reform is a vital part of making the political process fair for everyone. Lobbyists spend millions of dollars influencing votes on important legislation like clean energy and expanding healthcare. Meanwhile, citizens only have our vote at the ballot box. Running for office is also difficult for citizens who don't have money to start a campaign. It shuts out candidates and reserves the political process for those who have money and corporate support.

William Thompson (D)

Unlike many candidates, William Thompson was actually born and raised in the District he intends to represent.

He served his county in the United States Marine Corps.

He has the most National Security experience of any candidate running.

What areas of public policy are you personally passionate about?

Beatriz Reynoso (D)

After leaving the military, I was able to continue getting healthcare at the VA. My team of doctors and therapists saved my life. Mental health care is an important part of healthcare and yet, most Americans are not able to access this critical care. We need to work to expand access to mental health care for all Americans. My political philosophy is simple-- Human suffering is unacceptable.

William Thompson (D)

National Security - America's enemies are constantly looking for potential vulnerabilities. Issues concerning cyberspace, Crimea, and Taiwan all require someone with relevant experience. As a military Intelligence Officer, Cyber Operations Planner, and Satellite Operations Planner, William has the necessary experience to ensure national security.

Housing - William Thompson has worked for almost a decade providing housing solutions for south Texans. He understands that not all Texans qualify for traditional banking mortgages, and has worked to find hard working Texans a means to own their own homes.

Veterans affairs - As a veteran, William understands the sacrifices that America's veterans have made. PTSD, high suicide rates, and an underwhelming VA system are some of the burdens veterans still face after they leave active service.

What characteristics or principles are most important for an elected official?

Beatriz Reynoso (D)

Elected official must be willing to put the needs of their constituents ahead of their political career. We will have to make tough choices, being concerned with our campaign funds and reelection isn't one of them. I am not more important than any one of my constituents.

What do you believe are the core responsibilities for someone elected to this office?

Beatriz Reynoso (D)

Our constituents come first. We have to listen to them and be willing to meet with them to address their concerns. Representatives can't hide from their actions or constituents.

William Thompson (D)

The basic core responsibility of elected officials is to represent the people that elected them. Failure to do so will result in the election of someone who new will.

What legacy would you like to leave?

Beatriz Reynoso (D)

I hope to inspire more women, of all socio-economic backgrounds to run for office. You don't need a fancy degree to determine your worth, you just need to want to make change.

William Thompson (D)

I would like to leave a legacy my children can be proud of. There is no telling what exact types of issues, policies, and votes that will be in store for the next Congressional Representative from District 34. My goal is to leave politics with my head held up and a reputation that my children can be proud of when I am long gone.

What is the first historical event that happened in your lifetime that you remember? How old were you at the time?

Beatriz Reynoso (D)

I was in middle school when September 11 happened. It was a big part of why I joined the military and also when I started to examine the history of US foreign policy. I wanted to understand why what we were learning in school and ethnocentrism shaped our view of the world.

What was your very first job? How long did you have it?

Beatriz Reynoso (D)

I got my first job when I was in High school. I was hired at Kmart during the Christmas season as a cashier. I worked there for 6 months before getting a different job in child care taking care of children from 0-18 months.

William Thompson (D)

My very first job was working for my father, fixing up old houses. It didn't pay any money, but the experience and knowledge I gained serve me well still today. There is value in opportunities others overlook if you have the foresight, skill set, and determination to see it through.

What was the last song that got stuck in your head?

Beatriz Reynoso (D)

Como La Flor- Selena

William Thompson (D)

My daughter is in Music Memory at her school. We were listening to "Ride of the Valkyries" by Wagner recently. It's not what I usually listen to on KTEX, but it sure is motivational.

What qualities does the U.S. House of Representatives possess that makes it unique as an institution?

Beatriz Reynoso (D)

Members of the House of Representatives serve 2-year terms. This is an opportunity for the American people to hold their representatives accountable.

Do you believe that it's beneficial for representatives to have previous experience in government or politics?

Beatriz Reynoso (D)

Absolutely not. The choices representatives make are not based on how much experience they have in politics. You either put your constituents first or you don't. They care about being reelected or they care about working for the people who elected them--you can't do both.

What do you perceive to be the United States’ greatest challenges as a nation over the next decade?

Beatriz Reynoso (D)

I think wealth disparities are real concern and the level of disparity between minimum wage workers and the billionaire class are unsustainable.

If you are not a current representative, are there certain committees that you would want to be a part of?

Beatriz Reynoso (D)

Armed Services, Foreign Affairs, and Veterans’ Affairs are committees I think I could best provide my lived experience.

Do you believe that two years is the right term length for representatives?

Beatriz Reynoso (D)

Yes. Constituents must be able to hold their representative accountable for the votes they make. Their actions have very real consequences for people's lives.

William Thompson (D)

Yes. That is plenty of time to test the mettle of a person. They will either be found to be the type of representative their voters need, or they will be replaced.

What are your thoughts on term limits?

Beatriz Reynoso (D)

I am in support of term limits. If elected, I would not want to serve more than 8 years. That is the same amount of time I served in the military and the amount of time a President serves.

William Thompson (D)

I am absolutely in favor of term limits. I think experienced citizens should be sent to the government to represent their neighbors. And once they have fulfilled their service, they should return to their neighborhoods. I believe many politicians start off with good intentions to help people, but somewhere along the way power corrupts them. Then their focus shifts from helping people to staying in office.

Is there a particular representative, past or present, whom you want to model yourself after?

Beatriz Reynoso (D)

I believe Bernie Sanders has always been on the right side of history in every position for the entirety of his political career but as a feminist, I hope to be as fearless as Shirley Chisholm.

Do you believe that compromise is necessary or desirable for policymaking?

Beatriz Reynoso (D)

Yes, compromise is necessary but not if it means human suffering is an acceptable consequence. Human suffering is never acceptable and not being able to afford a 3rd yacht is not human suffering.

William Thompson (D)

I believe compromise is necessary for the success of our country - as it always has been. Without compromise on what did or did not go into it, there would have been no Declaration of Independence. Without the compromise of adding the Bill of Rights, the Constitution would not have been ratified. Though our nation's history is short compared to many others', it is full of compromise.

The Constitution says that all bills for raising revenue must originate in the House. What role would this power play in your priorities if elected?

Beatriz Reynoso (D)

The well-being of the American people will always be my priority. The billionaire class and powerful corporations must pay their fair share.

Campaign advertisements

This section includes a selection of up to three campaign advertisements per candidate released in this race, as well as links to candidates' YouTube, Vimeo, and/or Facebook video pages. If you are aware of other links that should be included, please email us.

Vicente Gonzalez Jr.

Have a link to Gonzalez's campaign ads on YouTube? Email us.

• Facebook

Laura Cisneros

Have a link to Cisneros' campaign ads on YouTube? Email us.

• Facebook

Osbert Rodriguez Haro III

Have a link to Rodriguez Haro's campaign ads on YouTube? Email us.

• Facebook

Filemon Meza

Have a link to Meza's campaign ads on YouTube? Email us.

Beatriz Reynoso

September 20, 2021

View more ads here:

• YouTube
• Facebook

William Thompson

Have a link to Thompson's campaign ads on YouTube? Email us.

• Facebook

Diego Zavala

Have a link to Zavala's campaign ads on YouTube? Email us.

• Facebook

Endorsements

Click the links below to see endorsement lists published on candidate campaign websites, if available. If you are aware of a website that should be included, please email us.

As of January 2022, no candidate had published an endorsement list on a campaign website.

Election competitiveness

Polls

See also: Ballotpedia's approach to covering polls

Polls are conducted with a variety of methodologies and have margins of error or credibility intervals. The Pew Research Center wrote, "A margin of error of plus or minus 3 percentage points at the 95% confidence level means that if we fielded the same survey 100 times, we would expect the result to be within 3 percentage points of the true population value 95 of those times." For tips on reading polls from FiveThirtyEight, click here. For tips from Pew, click here.

The links below show polls for this race aggregated by FiveThirtyEight and RealClearPolitics, where available. Click here to read about FiveThirtyEight's criteria for including polls in its aggregation.

• FiveThirtyEight
• RealClearPolitics

General election race ratings

See also: Race rating definitions and methods

Ballotpedia provides race ratings from four outlets: The Cook Political Report, Inside Elections, Sabato's Crystal Ball, and DDHQ/The Hill. Each race rating indicates if one party is perceived to have an advantage in the race and, if so, the degree of advantage:

• Safe and Solid ratings indicate that one party has a clear edge and the race is not competitive.
• Likely ratings indicate that one party has a clear edge, but an upset is possible.
• Lean ratings indicate that one party has a small edge, but the race is competitive.
• Toss-up ratings indicate that neither party has an advantage.

Race ratings are informed by a number of factors, including polling, candidate quality, and election result history in the race's district or state.

Race ratings: Texas' 34th Congressional District election, 2022
Race tracker	Race ratings
	November 8, 2022	November 1, 2022	October 25, 2022	October 18, 2022
The Cook Political Report with Amy Walter	Toss-up	Toss-up	Toss-up	Toss-up
Inside Elections with Nathan L. Gonzales	Toss-up	Tilt Democratic	Tilt Democratic	Lean Democratic
Larry J. Sabato's Crystal Ball	Lean Republican	Toss-up	Toss-up	Toss-up
Note: Ballotpedia reviews external race ratings every week throughout the election season and posts weekly updates even if the media outlets have not revised their ratings during that week.

Election spending

Campaign finance

This section contains campaign finance figures from the Federal Election Commission covering all candidate fundraising and spending in this election. It does not include information on fundraising before the current campaign cycle or on spending by satellite groups. The numbers in this section are updated as candidates file new campaign finance reports. Candidates for Congress are required to file financial reports on a quarterly basis, as well as two weeks before any primary, runoff, or general election in which they will be on the ballot and upon the termination of any campaign committees. Click here to view the reporting schedule for candidates for U.S. Congress in 2022.

U.S. Congress campaign reporting schedule, 2022
Report	Close of books	Filing deadline
Year-end 2021	12/31/2021	1/31/2022
April quarterly	3/31/2022	4/15/2022
July quarterly	6/30/2022	7/15/2022
October quarterly	9/30/2022	10/15/2022
Pre-general	10/19/2022	10/27/2022
Post-general	11/28/2022	12/08/2022
Year-end 2022	12/31/2022	1/31/2023

Name	Party	Receipts*	Disbursements**	Cash on hand	Date
Vicente Gonzalez Jr.	Democratic Party	$3,197,037	$4,263,576	$303,954	As of December 31, 2022
Laura Cisneros	Democratic Party	$204,861	$161,360	$43,501	As of December 31, 2022
Filemon Meza	Democratic Party	$0	$0	$0	Data not available***
Beatriz Reynoso	Democratic Party	$4,996	$5,007	$-196	As of April 21, 2022
Osbert Rodriguez Haro III	Democratic Party	$0	$0	$0	Data not available***
William Thompson	Democratic Party	$16,846	$16,846	$-1,959	As of March 28, 2022
Diego Zavala	Democratic Party	$0	$0	$0	Data not available***
Source: Federal Elections Commission, "Campaign finance data," 2022. This product uses the openFEC API but is not endorsed or certified by the Federal Election Commission (FEC). * According to the FEC, "Receipts are anything of value (money, goods, services or property) received by a political committee." ** According to the FEC, a disbursement "is a purchase, payment, distribution, loan, advance, deposit or gift of money or anything of value to influence a federal election," plus other kinds of payments not made to influence a federal election. *** Candidate either did not report any receipts or disbursements to the FEC, or Ballotpedia did not find an FEC candidate ID.

Satellite spending

See also: Satellite spending

Satellite spending describes political spending not controlled by candidates or their campaigns; that is, any political expenditures made by groups or individuals that are not directly affiliated with a candidate. This includes spending by political party committees, super PACs, trade associations, and 501(c)(4) nonprofit groups.

If available, links to satellite spending reports by the Federal Election Commission and OpenSecrets.org are linked below. Any satellite spending reported in other resources is displayed in a table. This table may not represent the actual total amount spent by satellite groups in the election. Satellite spending for which specific amounts, dates, or purposes are not reported are marked "N/A." To help us complete this information, or to notify us of additional satellite spending, email us.

By candidate	By election
Federal Election Commission - Vicente Gonzalez Jr. Federal Election Commission - Laura Cisneros Federal Election Commission - Osbert Rodriguez Haro III Federal Election Commission - Filemon Meza Federal Election Commission - Beatriz Reynoso Federal Election Commission - William Thompson Federal Election Commission - Diego Zavala	Open Secrets - Texas' 34th Congressional District Election Federal Election Commission - Texas' 34th Congressional District Election

Election context

District history

2020

See also: Texas' 34th Congressional District election, 2020

General election

General election for U.S. House Texas District 34

Incumbent Filemon Vela defeated Rey Gonzalez Jr., Anthony Cristo, and Chris Royal in the general election for U.S. House Texas District 34 on November 3, 2020.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔		Filemon Vela (D)	55.4	111,439
		Rey Gonzalez Jr. (R)	41.8	84,119
		Anthony Cristo (L)	1.6	3,222
		Chris Royal (Independent)	1.1	2,247

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	Incumbents are bolded and underlined. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 201,027
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey.
Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team.

Democratic primary election

Democratic primary for U.S. House Texas District 34

Incumbent Filemon Vela defeated Diego Zavala and Osbert Rodriguez Haro III in the Democratic primary for U.S. House Texas District 34 on March 3, 2020.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔		Filemon Vela	75.1	39,484
		Diego Zavala	18.5	9,707
	Submit photo	Osbert Rodriguez Haro III	6.5	3,413

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	Incumbents are bolded and underlined. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 52,604
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey.
Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team.

Republican primary election

Republican primary for U.S. House Texas District 34

Rey Gonzalez Jr. defeated Rod Lingsch in the Republican primary for U.S. House Texas District 34 on March 3, 2020.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔		Rey Gonzalez Jr.	56.3	10,665
		Rod Lingsch	43.7	8,271

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	There were no incumbents in this race. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 18,936
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey.
Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team.

Libertarian convention

Libertarian convention for U.S. House Texas District 34

Anthony Cristo advanced from the Libertarian convention for U.S. House Texas District 34 on March 21, 2020.

		Candidate
✔		Anthony Cristo (L)

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	There were no incumbents in this race. The results have been certified.
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey.
Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team.

2018

See also: Texas' 34th Congressional District election, 2018

General election

General election for U.S. House Texas District 34

Incumbent Filemon Vela defeated Rey Gonzalez Jr. in the general election for U.S. House Texas District 34 on November 6, 2018.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔		Filemon Vela (D)	60.0	85,825
		Rey Gonzalez Jr. (R)	40.0	57,243

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	Incumbents are bolded and underlined. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 143,068
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey.
Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team.

Democratic primary election

Democratic primary for U.S. House Texas District 34

Incumbent Filemon Vela advanced from the Democratic primary for U.S. House Texas District 34 on March 6, 2018.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔		Filemon Vela	100.0	25,344

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	Incumbents are bolded and underlined. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 25,344
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey.
Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team.

Republican primary election

Republican primary for U.S. House Texas District 34

Rey Gonzalez Jr. advanced from the Republican primary for U.S. House Texas District 34 on March 6, 2018.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔		Rey Gonzalez Jr.	100.0	10,227

---

	There were no incumbents in this race. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 10,227
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey.
Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team.

2016

See also: Texas' 34th Congressional District election, 2016

Heading into the election, Ballotpedia rated this race as safely Democratic. Incumbent Filemon Vela (D) defeated Rey Gonzalez Jr. (R) in the general election on November 8, 2016. Vela faced no opposition in the Democratic primary on March 1, 2016, while Gonzalez defeated William "Willie" Vaden to win the Republican nomination.

U.S. House, Texas District 34 General Election, 2016

Party		Candidate	Vote %	Votes
	Democratic	Filemon Vela Incumbent	62.7%	104,638
	Republican	Rey Gonzalez Jr.	37.3%	62,323
Total Votes				166,961
Source: Texas Secretary of State

U.S. House, Texas District 34 Republican Primary, 2016

Candidate	Vote %	Votes
Rey Gonzalez Jr.	50.6%	12,532
William Vaden	49.4%	12,253
Total Votes		24,785
Source: Texas Secretary of State

2014

See also: Texas' 34th Congressional District elections, 2014

The 34th Congressional District of Texas held an election for the U.S. House of Representatives on November 4, 2014. Incumbent Filemon Vela (D) defeated Larry Smith (R) and Ryan Rowley (L) in the general election.

U.S. House, Texas District 34 General Election, 2014

Party		Candidate	Vote %	Votes
	Democratic	Filemon Vela Incumbent	59.5%	47,503
	Republican	Larry Smith	38.6%	30,811
	Libertarian	Ryan Rowley	2%	1,563
Total Votes				79,877
Source: Texas Secretary of State

2012

See also: Texas' 34th Congressional District elections, 2012

The 34th Congressional District of Texas held an election for the U.S. House of Representatives on November 6, 2012, in which Filemon Vela (D) won election. He defeated Jessica Puente Bradshaw (R) and Steven Shanklin (L) in the general election.

U.S. House, Texas District 34 General Election, 2012

Party		Candidate	Vote %	Votes
	Democratic	Filemon Vela	61.9%	89,606
	Republican	Jessica Puente Bradshaw	36.2%	52,448
	Libertarian	Steven Shanklin	1.9%	2,724
Total Votes				144,778
Source: Texas Secretary of State "Official Election Results, 2012 General Election"

Ballot access requirements

The table below details filing requirements for U.S. House candidates in Texas in the 2022 election cycle. For additional information on candidate ballot access requirements in Texas, click here.

Filing requirements for U.S. House candidates, 2022
State	Office	Party	Signatures required	Filing fee	Filing deadline	Source
Texas	U.S. House	Democratic or Republican	2% of all votes cast for governor in the district in the last election, or 500, whichever is less	$3,125.00	12/13/2021	Source
Texas	U.S. House	Unaffiliated	5% of all votes cast for governor in the district in the last election, or 500, whichever is less	N/A	6/23/2022	Source

District analysis

Click the tabs below to view information about voter composition, past elections, and demographics in both the district and the state.

• District map - A map of the district before and after redistricting.
• Effect of redistricting - How districts in the state changed as a result of redistricting following the 2020 census.
• Competitiveness - Information about the competitiveness of 2022 U.S. House elections in the state.
• Presidential elections - Information about presidential elections in the district and the state.
• Demographics - Information about the state's demographics and how they compare to the country as a whole.
• State party control - The partisan makeup of the state's congressional delegation and state government.

District map

Below was the map in use at the time of the election, enacted as part of the 2020 redistricting cycle, compared to the map in place before the election.

Texas District 34
before 2020 redistricting cycle

Click a district to compare boundaries.

Texas District 34
after 2020 redistricting cycle

Click a district to compare boundaries.

Effect of redistricting

See also: Redistricting in Texas after the 2020 census

The table below details the results of the 2020 presidential election in each district at the time of the 2022 election and its political predecessor district. This data was compiled by Daily Kos Elections.

2020 presidential results by Congressional district, Texas
District	2022 district		Political predecessor district
	Joe Biden	Donald Trump	Joe Biden	Donald Trump
Texas' 1st	26.5%	72.4%	27.2%	71.6%
Texas' 2nd	37.9%	60.7%	48.6%	49.9%
Texas' 3rd	42.0%	56.4%	48.7%	49.8%
Texas' 4th	36.4%	62.4%	24.4%	74.4%
Texas' 5th	38.2%	60.6%	37.9%	60.9%
Texas' 6th	37.4%	61.3%	47.8%	50.8%
Texas' 7th	64.2%	34.5%	53.6%	45.1%
Texas' 8th	35.8%	63.0%	28.1%	70.6%
Texas' 9th	76.2%	22.8%	75.7%	23.3%
Texas' 10th	39.8%	58.6%	48.4%	50.0%
Texas' 11th	29.1%	69.5%	19.7%	79.1%
Texas' 12th	40.1%	58.3%	37.9%	60.5%
Texas' 13th	26.5%	72.0%	19.4%	79.2%
Texas' 14th	35.0%	63.6%	39.6%	59.0%
Texas' 15th	48.1%	51.0%	TX-15: 50.4% TX-34: 51.5%	TX-15: 48.5% TX-34: 47.5%
Texas' 16th	67.0%	31.5%	66.4%	32.0%
Texas' 17th	38.0%	60.5%	43.6%	54.6%
Texas' 18th	73.6%	25.1%	75.7%	23.0%
Texas' 19th	26.2%	72.4%	26.3%	72.2%
Texas' 20th	65.8%	32.7%	63.7%	34.7%
Texas' 21st	39.4%	59.1%	47.9%	50.6%
Texas' 22nd	41.3%	57.4%	48.9%	49.8%
Texas' 23rd	45.8%	52.9%	48.5%	50.3%
Texas' 24th	43.0%	55.4%	51.9%	46.5%
Texas' 25th	33.8%	64.9%	44.4%	54.0%
Texas' 26th	40.0%	58.6%	42.1%	56.3%
Texas' 27th	38.1%	60.6%	37.5%	61.2%
Texas' 28th	52.9%	45.9%	51.6%	47.2%
Texas' 29th	67.8%	31.0%	65.9%	32.9%
Texas' 30th	77.8%	21.0%	79.8%	18.9%
Texas' 31st	39.0%	59.2%	47.6%	50.4%
Texas' 32nd	65.7%	32.7%	54.4%	44.0%
Texas' 33rd	74.2%	24.4%	73.0%	25.6%
Texas' 34th	57.3%	41.8%	TX-15: 50.4% TX-34: 51.5%	TX-15: 48.5% TX-34: 47.5%
Texas' 35th	71.7%	26.5%	---	---
Texas' 36th	33.6%	65.2%	26.9%	71.9%
Texas' 37th	75.5%	22.7%	67.7%	30.5%
Texas' 38th	40.2%	58.4%	---	---

Competitiveness

See also: Primary election competitiveness in state and federal government, 2022

This section contains data on U.S. House primary election competitiveness in Texas.

Post-filing deadline analysis

The following analysis covers all U.S. House districts up for election in Texas in 2022. Information below was calculated on Jan. 27, 2022, and may differ from information shown in the table above due to candidate replacements and withdrawals after that time.

In 2022, 223 candidates filed to run for Texas’ 38 U.S. House districts, including 143 Republicans, 79 Democrats, and one independent candidate. That’s 5.9 candidates per district, less than the 6.5 candidates per district in 2020 and 5.9 in 2018.

Texas gained two U.S. House districts following the 2020 census. Two members of the U.S. House filed to run for re-election in a different district than the one represented before redistricting: Lloyd Doggett (D) filed in the new 37th District, while Vicente Gonzalez (D) filed in the 34th District seat held by retiring Rep. Filemon Vela (D).

Six districts were open, meaning no incumbent filed to run. In addition to Gonzalez’s and Doggett’s districts, these included the newly-created 38th District and the 1st, 8th, and 30th districts. 1st District incumbent Louie Gohmert (R) filed to run for state attorney general, while incumbents Kevin Brady (R) and Eddie Bernice Johnson (D) did not file for re-election.

This was the same number as 2012, the previous post-redistricting cycle, and 2020. There were seven open seats in 2018.

There were 13 incumbents who filed to run in districts without any primary challengers.

Three districts were likely to be won by Republicans because no Democrats filed. There were no districts where the same is true of Democratic candidates.

Fifteen candidates each filed to run in the 15th and 30th Districts, more than any other. Six Democrats and nine Republicans filed in the 15th. Nine Democrats and six Republicans filed in the 30th. Both districts were open.

Presidential elections

Partisan Voter Index

See also: The Cook Political Report's Partisan Voter Index

Heading into the 2022 elections, based on results from the 2020 and 2016 presidential elections, the Cook Partisan Voter Index for this district was D+9. This meant that in those two presidential elections, this district's results were 9 percentage points more Democratic than the national average. This made Texas' 34th the 137th most Democratic district nationally.

2020 presidential election results

The table below shows what the vote in the 2020 presidential election would have been in this district. The presidential election data was compiled by Daily Kos.

2020 presidential results in Texas' 34th based on 2022 district lines
Joe Biden	Donald Trump
57.3%	41.8%

Presidential voting history

See also: Presidential election in Texas, 2020

Texas presidential election results (1900-2020)

• 16 Democratic wins
• 15 Republican wins

Year	1900	1904	1908	1912	1916	1920	1924	1928	1932	1936	1940	1944	1948	1952	1956	1960	1964	1968	1972	1976	1980	1984	1988	1992	1996	2000	2004	2008	2012	2016	2020
Winning Party	D	D	D	D	D	D	D	R	D	D	D	D	D	R	R	D	D	D	R	D	R	R	R	R	R	R	R	R	R	R	R

Demographics

The table below details demographic data in Texas and compares it to the broader United States as of 2019.

Demographic Data for Texas
	Texas	United States
Population	25,145,561	308,745,538
Land area (sq mi)	261,266	3,531,905
Race and ethnicity**
White	74%	72.5%
Black/African American	12.1%	12.7%
Asian	4.8%	5.5%
Native American	0.5%	0.8%
Pacific Islander	0.1%	0.2%
Other (single race)	5.8%	4.9%
Multiple	2.7%	3.3%
Hispanic/Latino	39.3%	18%
Education
High school graduation rate	83.7%	88%
College graduation rate	29.9%	32.1%
Income
Median household income	$61,874	$62,843
Persons below poverty level	14.7%	13.4%
Source: population provided by U.S. Census Bureau, "Decennial Census" (2010). Other figures provided by U.S. Census Bureau, "American Community Survey" (5-year estimates 2014-2019).
**Note: Percentages for race and ethnicity may add up to more than 100 percent because respondents may report more than one race and the Hispanic/Latino ethnicity may be selected in conjunction with any race. Read more about race and ethnicity in the census here.

State party control

Congressional delegation

The table below displays the partisan composition of Texas' congressional delegation as of November 2022.

Congressional Partisan Breakdown from Texas, November 2022
Party	U.S. Senate	U.S. House	Total
Democratic	0	12	12
Republican	2	24	26
Independent	0	0	0
Vacancies	0	0	0
Total	2	36	38

State executive

The table below displays the officeholders in Texas' top four state executive offices as of November 2022.

State executive officials in Texas, November 2022
Office	Officeholder
Governor	Greg Abbott
Lieutenant Governor	Dan Patrick
Secretary of State	John Scott
Attorney General	Ken Paxton

State legislature

The tables below highlight the partisan composition of the Texas State Legislature as of November 2022.

Texas State Senate

Party		As of November 2022
	Democratic Party	13
	Republican Party	18
	Vacancies	0
Total		31

Texas House of Representatives

Party		As of November 2022
	Democratic Party	65
	Republican Party	83
	Vacancies	2
Total		150

Trifecta control

As of November 2022, Texas was a Republican trifecta, with majorities in both chambers of the state legislature and control of the governorship. The table below displays the historical trifecta status of the state.

Texas Party Control: 1992-2022
Three years of Democratic trifectas  •  Twenty years of Republican trifectas
Scroll left and right on the table below to view more years.

Year	92	93	94	95	96	97	98	99	00	01	02	03	04	05	06	07	08	09	10	11	12	13	14	15	16	17	18	19	20	21	22
Governor	D	D	D	R	R	R	R	R	R	R	R	R	R	R	R	R	R	R	R	R	R	R	R	R	R	R	R	R	R	R	R
Senate	D	D	D	D	D	R	R	R	R	R	R	R	R	R	R	R	R	R	R	R	R	R	R	R	R	R	R	R	R	R	R
House	D	D	D	D	D	D	D	D	D	D	D	R	R	R	R	R	R	R	R	R	R	R	R	R	R	R	R	R	R	R	R

2022 battleground elections

See also: Battlegrounds

This election was a battleground race. Other 2022 battleground elections included:

• Arizona's 2nd Congressional District election, 2022 (August 2 Republican primary)
• District Attorney election in Nashville, Tennessee (May 3, 2022, Democratic primary)
• Indiana's 9th Congressional District election, 2022 (May 3 Republican primary)
• Nevada gubernatorial election, 2022
• United States Senate election in Pennsylvania, 2022 (May 17 Republican primary)

See also

• Texas' 34th Congressional District election, 2022 (March 1 Republican primary)
• Texas' 34th Congressional District election, 2022
• United States House elections in Texas, 2022 (March 1 Democratic primaries)
• United States House elections in Texas, 2022 (March 1 Republican primaries)
• United States House Democratic Party primaries, 2022
• United States House Republican Party primaries, 2022
• United States House of Representatives elections, 2022
• U.S. House battlegrounds, 2022

External links

Suggest a link

• Search Google News for this topic

Footnotes

[show]

Texas' current delegation to the United States Congress

Senators

John Cornyn (R)

Ted Cruz (R)

Representatives

District 1

Nathaniel Moran (R)

District 2

Daniel Crenshaw (R)

District 3

Keith Self (R)

District 4

Pat Fallon (R)

District 5

Lance Gooden (R)

District 6

Jake Ellzey (R)

District 7

Lizzie Fletcher (D)

District 8

Morgan Luttrell (R)

District 9

Al Green (D)

District 10

Michael McCaul (R)

District 11

August Pfluger (R)

District 12

Craig Goldman (R)

District 13

Ronny Jackson (R)

District 14

Randy Weber (R)

District 15

Monica De La Cruz (R)

District 16

Veronica Escobar (D)

District 17

Pete Sessions (R)

District 18

Vacant

District 19

Jodey Arrington (R)

District 20

Joaquin Castro (D)

District 21

Chip Roy (R)

District 22

Troy Nehls (R)

District 23

Tony Gonzales (R)

District 24

Beth Van Duyne (R)

District 25

Roger Williams (R)

District 26

Brandon Gill (R)

District 27

Michael Cloud (R)

District 28

Henry Cuellar (D)

District 29

Sylvia Garcia (D)

District 30

Jasmine Crockett (D)

District 31

John Carter (R)

District 32

Julie Johnson (D)

District 33

Marc Veasey (D)

District 34

Vicente Gonzalez (D)

District 35

Greg Casar (D)

District 36

Brian Babin (R)

District 37

Lloyd Doggett (D)

District 38

Wesley Hunt (R)

Republican Party (27)

Democratic Party (12)

Vacancies (1)

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