AUSTIN, Texas (AP) — Former Republican U.S. Rep. Mayra Flores of Texas on Tuesday launched a bid to unseat Democratic Rep. Henry Cuellar in 2026, followed by her campaign announcing just hours later on social media that she had been hospitalized with no further details.
Flores was the first Mexican-born congresswoman in the U.S. House after winning a 2022 special election in another Texas border district. She served about six months in Congress but lost her bid for a full term.
Her campaign did not immediately respond to an email seeking comment about why she was hospitalized.
“We pray that Mayra will return stronger than ever, ready to continue her unwavering commitment to serving our country,” her campaign said in a statement posted on X.
Flores' challenge highlights Republicans' growing confidence in making gains in South Texas, a region once a stronghold for Democrats but has slowly chipped away its support for the party in recent elections. President Donald Trump flipped several counties near the border — including the two most populous, Hidalgo and Cameron — in November. Starr County, with a predominately Hispanic and working-class population, broke generations of precedent when it flipped for Trump in 2024.
Cuellar, who has represented Texas' 28th Congressional District for two decades, won reelection last year against a Republican newcomer who had little outside support. It was a test of Cuellar's resiliency after he and his wife were indicted in 2024 on bribery charges. Prosecutors allege the couple accepted nearly $600,000 in bribes from an Azerbaijan-controlled energy company and a bank in Mexico. Cuellar has said that he and his wife are innocent, and the case remains ongoing.
Cuellar's office did not immediately respond to an email seeking comment.
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Nadia Lathan is a corps member for The Associated Press/Report for America Statehouse News Initiative. Report for America is a nonprofit national service program that places journalists in local newsrooms to report on undercovered issues.
Nadia Lathan, The Associated Press
