In remarks to Newsweek, Rep. Mayra Flores (R-TX) slammed her opponent Rep. Vicente Gonzalez (D-CA) for showing his “true, racist colors” after Gonzalez made off-the-cuff remarks in a resurfaced video about migrants coming into the United States.
Gonzalez commented on migrants during an October 2019 conversation with the then-mayor of McAllen, Texas, Jim Darling. Darling argues for a “need-based” immigration, as opposed to “merit-based,” and jokes that it’s not about “rocket scientists” coming into the country. “Right,” Gonzalez replies, “Somebody’s gotta pick the fruit, and only little hands can do that,” while imitating a fruit-picking motion with his right hand.
Flores, who is running against Gonzalez in Texas’s 34th Congressional District, told Newsweek that Gonzalez’s comments showed his “true, racist colors. Flores also criticized Gonzalez for not working towards a solution to our nation’s immigration problems during his time in Congress.
Flores said Gonzalez has “had three terms to come up with a bill, and he hasn’t done so, and he never will, so he can continue using the issue every year.”
The National Republican Congressional Committee said Gonzalez’s comments are the latest remarks “in a troubling pattern of racist, sexist, and xenophobic comments.” Gonzalez was previously under fire after his campaign paid over $1,000 to a blogger who called Flores “Miss Frijoles” and a “cotton-picking liar.”
“My far left opponent, Vincent Gonzalez, hired a local blogger to run hateful & racist ads against me,” Flores tweeted. “But, I love frijoles & I grew up eating frijoles. I am not embarrassed of my upbringings & frijoles w/tortillas de harina is simply the best. Here’s to Miss Frijoles 2022 #TX34.”