Vicente Gonzalez declares victory to hold onto South Texas congressional district [Video]

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BROWNSVILLE —U.S. Rep. Vicente Gonzalez declared victory late Tuesday over his Republican challenger, former U.S. Rep. Mayra Flores.

Gonzalez had a slim lead over Flores late Tuesday, according to unofficial results. If his lead holds, it will be the second time he beat Flores to represent South Texas.

He told supporters the margin of victory was slimmer than they were expecting but credited Flores’ performance to having former President Donald Trump at the top of the ticket.

“A win is a win,” Gonzalez told the Texas Tribune. “We’ve been through tight races in the past. With Trump at the top of the ticket, he excites a lot of people that don’t normally come out to vote.”

His victory dashes Republican hopes of regaining the seat and making gains in …