Gov. Greg Abbott withdrew his endorsement of Republican David Flores after video of Flores’s February DWI arrest circulated in early October. The Houston Chronicle reported that Flores pleaded guilty to misdemeanor DWI in June and was sentenced to probation. The footage also drew attention to Flores’s remarks to officers, which the Chronicle said appear to include a racial slur; that language is not repeated here.
What happened, and when
- February 14: Deer Park police stopped Flores for speeding early that morning and arrested him for DWI, according to the Houston Chronicle’s October 1 report. The Chronicle attributed a 0.11% blood alcohol result to a Deer Park Police Department spokesperson; that figure is reported by the newspaper and is not independently verified here.
- June: Court records cited by the Chronicle show Flores pleaded guilty to misdemeanor DWI and was sentenced to probation. The Chronicle’s report does not provide the judgment or underlying police records.
- Early October: Dashcam footage of the arrest circulated. The Chronicle reported that the Lone Star Project, a Democratic strategy group, obtained and released it.
- After the video drew attention: Abbott withdrew his endorsement. Campaign spokesman Eduardo Leal said, “There is no place for this kind of behavior or language.”
What the video reportedly shows
The Chronicle said Flores appears in the footage to invoke political relationships and Abbott’s endorsement while speaking with officers. Abbott did not officially announce his endorsement until May, according to the same report. The Chronicle also said the video appears to capture Flores using a racial slur. Those are descriptions of what the footage appears to show, not a substitute for the separate court-record outcome reported in the article.
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Why the endorsement matters politically
Flores is challenging Democratic state Rep. Mary Ann Perez in Texas House District 144. The Chronicle described the district as one of Republicans’ better opportunities to flip a Democratic-held seat in November; Perez has represented it for nearly 10 years, and the district voted for Donald Trump in 2024. The video and Abbott’s decision could become factors in the race, but their electoral effect is not established.
Do these 3 things before closing this tab:
1Scan for outdated or missing drivers - takes under a minute2Clear out junk files and repair common Windows errors3Fix the driver behind crashes, sound loss and screen glitchesPerez criticized the idea that public service should insulate a candidate from consequences, saying: “Public service should never be viewed as a shield from accountability, before or after someone is elected.” She also said people seeking public trust should accept responsibility and meet the standards they expect of others.
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What “Texans pile on” does—and doesn’t—show
The headline phrase “Bahahahaaaaa” reflects ridicule in social-media reactions reported by The Nerd Stash on October 2. One quoted reply was “Bahahahaaaaa!!!” A handful of posts cannot establish how Texans generally view Flores, Abbott’s decision, or the race; the available reporting provides no representative polling or systematic measure of public reaction.
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