SOUTH TEXAS — In one of the most competitive races in the state, Republican Rep. Monica De La Cruz defeated Democrat Michelle Vallejo to represent Texas’ 15th Congressional District.

De La Cruz’s win is a strategic success for Republicans who have little political power in South Texas. The region historically has been a stronghold for Democrats; however, the GOP captured their first victory with the election of De La Cruz in 2022 after the district was redrawn to favor conservative-leaning areas of the area, stretching from the Rio Grande Valley to the San Antonio suburbs.

The race between De La Cruz and Vallejo was a rematch from a close 2022 midterm race, when De La Cruz beat Vallejo by 8%, the most narrow margin in any congressional race in the state that year. That race saw the 15th Congressional District being redrawn to become more competitive for Republicans. De La Cruz became the first Republican and the first woman to represent the district.

TX-15 represents 799,884 people and runs from Hidalgo County in the Rio Grande Valley up to Guadalupe County, east of San Antonio. It’s one of the first congressional districts in the country with a Latino majority.

During their campaigns, Vallejo and De La Cruz disputed over Social Security and Medicare, an issue both candidates identify as a priority on their websites. In a political ad, supporters of Vallejo discussed how De La Cruz put “Social Security and Medicare at risk.”

“In South Texas, you keep your word. That’s why I can’t vote for Monica De La Cruz. She broke her promises to us,” three women from the 15th congressional district said in the ad. “Monica even said no to lowering health care and drug prices.”

Vallejo ran on issues including affordable health care, expanding Medicare and Social Security, raising the minimum wage, protecting reproductive rights, securing the border, ending gun violence and LGBTQ+ equality and justice.

De La Cruz ran her campaign on issues including reinstating the Trump-era Remain in Mexico policy, lowering taxes for families and small businesses, rejecting “radical socialist” Green New Deal policies, protecting Medicare and Social Security and stopping deficit spending.

The South Texas congresswoman endorsed former President Donald Trump last November and said in a post on X that “we must re-elect President Trump to secure the border.”

During both the 2022 race and the rematch this election cycle, Vallejo challenged De La Cruz to a series of debates. De La Cruz did not agree to debate her opponent during either election.