“We pray that Mayra will return stronger than ever, ready to continue her unwavering commitment to serving our country,” the Flores campaign said in its statement.

“Mayra’s passion for building a brighter future for our children, grandchildren, and generations to come is at the heart of everything she does. Guided by faith and determination, she remains steadfast in her mission during this critical moment,” the statement added.

Flores, the first Mexico-born female member of Congress, served briefly in the House from late June 2022 to early January 2023 after winning a special election to replace former Democratic Rep. Filemon Vela Jr., who resigned.

She flipped Texas’s 34th Congressional District red for the first time in over a decade, but her victory was short-lived. She lost to Rep. Vicente Gonzalez (D-TX) twice: once in the election for a full term to the 34th District in 2022 and again in the 2024 elections.

Her rematch against Gonzalez in November saw Flores come within 3 points of winning, stoking speculation she would launch another bid for the 34th District in 2026.

Instead, she decided to challenge Cuellar in the 28th District. Cuellar, indicted by the Justice Department on charges of bribery and money laundering, is considered one of House Democrats’ most vulnerable candidates in the 2026 elections, and he is part of the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee’s “Frontline” program. Cueller denies the charges against him.

Flores said in an interview with Fox News Digital that she hopes to become one of the few voices that can represent the Spanish-speaking community and tell them about the “amazing work President Trump is doing, and his administration.”

“And that’s something that I feel I’m obligated to do, because there’s a lot of misinformation being spread from the left, and they’re trying to instill fear and hate in the Hispanic community,” the former congresswoman said.

But Flores is setting herself up for a difficult fight: Cuellar’s seat is rated “lean Democrat,” while Gonzalez’s “toss up” seat is considered to be an easier pickup opportunity for Republicans, according to the nonpartisan Cook Political Report.

Cuellar and Gonzalez are among the several members who were added to House Democrats’ battleground map after Latino voters and other historically blue voting blocs trended toward Trump in the last election.

In 2020, only 35% of Latino voters supported Trump. But in 2024, Hispanic support for Trump rose to 43%.

Serving in Congress since 2005, Cuellar won his 2024 reelection by 5.6 points against Jay Furman, who won the Republican nomination in a runoff election against GOP candidate Lazaro Garza.

Cuellar’s ability to work across the aisle has helped keep him in office, and he has defiantly refused to resign in light of the charges.

House Republicans’ campaign arm would likely spend significant sums to support Flores, assuming she gets the GOP nomination. But currently, the National Republican Congressional Committee has avoided offering statements or support for GOP candidates given the races are still open primaries.

Eyes will be on President Donald Trump to see whether he will endorse Flores again, which would boost her significantly in a Republican primary.

GOP SEARCHES FOR ‘FRESH MESSAGING’ TO COUNTER DEMOCRATS’ TAX CUT ATTACKS

Speaker Mike Johnson (R-LA) and Republicans are defending a razor-thin majority that NRCC leaders are confident they can not only maintain but expand in 2026. The GOP is defending 29 seats compared to Democrats’ 39 seats rated as competitive, but Democrats need only a net gain of three seats to flip the House.

The House historically flips to the party opposite the White House in the midterm elections.