Bill Flores
Member of the U.S. House of Representatives
from Texas's 17th district
In office
January 3, 2011 – January 3, 2021
Preceded byChet Edwards
Succeeded byPete Sessions
Chair of the Republican Study Committee
In office
January 3, 2015 – January 3, 2017
Preceded byRob Woodall
Succeeded byMark Walker
Personal details
Born
William Hose Flores

(1954-02-25) February 25, 1954 (age 69)
Cheyenne, Wyoming, U.S.
Political partyRepublican
SpouseGina Flores
Children2
EducationTexas A&M University (BBA)
Houston Baptist University (MBA)

William Hose Flores Sr. (/ˈflɔːrɛz/; born February 25, 1954)[1] is an American businessman and politician who was the U.S. representative for Texas's 17th congressional district from 2011 to 2021. The district, located in the middle of the state, includes Waco, College Station, and Bryan.[2] He is a member of the Republican Party and the former chief executive officer of Phoenix Exploration Company, an oil and natural gas company. Flores currently serves as Vice Chair of the Electric Reliability Council of Texas (ERCOT).[3]

Flores chose not to seek re-election in 2020 after five terms in office. He was succeeded by former U.S. Representative for Texas's 32nd congressional district Congressman Pete Sessions.

Early life and education

Flores was born in Cheyenne, Wyoming, at the F.E. Warren Air Force Base, where his father was serving in the military. He is the son of Ruth Ann Theresa (née Kennedy) and Joe Pete Flores. He grew up in Stratford in the Texas Panhandle.[4] His paternal ancestors left Spain and settled in what is now Texas in 1725. Of his heritage, Flores has said, "My family came from Spain in 1725, and if people want to consider me Hispanic, they can, but I didn't advertise that way, and I'm an American first."[5] He graduated with a BBA, cum laude in accounting from Texas A&M University in 1976.[6] While there, he was a member of the Corps of Cadets, the MSC Student Conference on National Affairs, the Ross Volunteer Company,[7] and Corps Staff. He also served as Student Body Vice-President of Finance during his senior year.[citation needed] He has been a licensed Certified Public Accountant since 1978.[8] He also received a Master of Business Administration from Houston Baptist University in 1985.[6]

Business career

Flores served as the chief financial officer (CFO) for two publicly traded energy service firms from 1990 through 1998: Marine Drilling Companies, Inc. (1990–1997) and Western Atlas Inc. (1997–1998). From 2002 to 2005, Flores was the Senior Vice President and CFO of Gryphon Exploration Company.[9]

In 2006, a group of five oil and gas industry executives, led by Flores as president and CEO, formed Phoenix Exploration Company with $350 million of capital commitments from a group of private equity firms that included Riverstone Holdings and Pinebrook Partners. The company was engaged in oil and gas exploration along the Gulf Coast and the Gulf of Mexico.[10] Flores also served as a director of that company from its formation until he retired in December 2009 to run for public office.[citation needed]

Flores is a former commissioner of the Texas Real Estate Commission (appointed by Governor Rick Perry),[11] and a past director and former chairman of the board of the Association of Former Students of Texas A&M University.[8] He has also served on boards of Phoenix Exploration Company, Marine Drilling Companies, Inc.,[12] FreeBirds, Inc., and The PARC, Inc, and the Alley Theater of Houston.[8]

He serves on the board of the Private Enterprise Research Center of Texas A&M University and as a member of the board of trustees of Houston Baptist University, where he serves as vice-chairman.[6]

U.S. House of Representatives

2010 election

See also: 2010 United States House of Representatives elections in Texas § District 17

In late 2009 Flores entered the Republican primary for the 17th District, held by 10-term Democratic incumbent Chet Edwards.[13] Flores claimed his worries about the future of "the American dream" inspired him to run for Congress.[6] He committed a half million dollars of his own money to self-fund his campaign.[14]

In the Republican primary runoff on April 13, he had defeated Rob Curnock[15] by a 64–36 percent margin.[16] The size of his primary victory was a surprise to many political observers because Curnock was the 2008 nominee and he held Edwards' 2008 vote total close to 50 percent, despite being heavily outspent.[17] During the Republican primary, Flores received the endorsement of former Republican U.S. Senator Phil Gramm[18] After the primary win, Flores was also endorsed by George H. W. Bush, John McCain,[19] Mitt Romney, and Mike Huckabee.[6]

Through December 21, 2010, Flores' campaign raised $3.5 million, of which $1.49 million came from Flores himself. He spent $3.3 million overall.[20]

On November 2, 2010, Flores defeated Edwards with 62 percent of the vote.[21][22][23] This was the largest margin of defeat for a Democratic incumbent in the 2010 cycle.[citation needed]

Flores won his fourth term in the U.S. House in the general election held on November 8, 2016. With 149,417 votes (60.8 percent), he defeated Democrat William Matta, who trailed with 86,603 ballots (35.2 percent) and Libertarian Clark Patterson with 9,708 (4 percent).[24]

Flores won his fifth term in the U.S. House in the general election held on November 6, 2018. With 134,375 votes (56.9 percent), he defeated Democrat Rick Kennedy, who trailed with 97,574 ballots (41.3 percent) and Libertarian Peter Churchman with 4,415 (1.9 percent).[25]

Political positions

Upon his swearing-in, Flores became the first Republican to represent Waco in Congress since Reconstruction.[citation needed] Flores supports limited government and lower taxes[citation needed]; an end to the spending of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act[citation needed]; making the Bush-era tax cuts permanent[citation needed]; anti-abortion positions[citation needed]; and stronger enforcement at the U.S. Mexico border.[26] Flores supports the building of new nuclear power plants to assist the U.S. in becoming energy self-sufficient.[citation needed] He also supports incentives for the development of solar and wind power.[27] Flores is a member of the Conservative Republican Study Committee and the Congressional Hispanic Conference.

National security

Flores supported President Donald Trump's 2017 executive order to temporarily curtail Muslim immigration until better screening methods are devised. He stated that "Taking 120-day breath to evaluate the effectiveness of our vetting program is a smart thing to do."[28]

Texas v. Pennsylvania

In December 2020, Flores was one of 126 Republican members of the House of Representatives who signed an amicus brief in support of Texas v. Pennsylvania, a lawsuit filed at the United States Supreme Court contesting the results of the 2020 presidential election, in which Joe Biden prevailed[29] over incumbent Donald Trump. The Supreme Court declined to hear the case on the basis that Texas lacked standing under Article III of the Constitution to challenge the results of the election held by another state.[30][31][32]

Republican Study Committee

On November 18, 2014, Flores was elected to the Chairmanship of the House Republican Study Committee. Flores was elected on the second ballot, securing 84 votes to South Carolina Representative Mick Mulvaney's 57.[33]

Social media

During his tenure in Congress, Flores had blocked constituents from contacting him through social media.[34]

Committee assignments

Caucus memberships

Legislation sponsored

Personal life

Flores is married to Gina, whom he met in high school.[4] They have two sons.[41] Flores attends Central Church, a church in Bryan.[42]

Flores has served as a member of the Mays Business School Advisory Board, the Corps of Cadets Development Council, Corps of Cadets Association, the Houston A&M Club, the Brazos County A&M Club, and other roles at Texas A&M University.[8] In 2003, he was honored as an outstanding alumnus of the Mays Business School of Texas A&M University.[41] In 2010, he was also recognized as a 'Distinguished Alumnus' by Texas A&M University.[7] In November 2021, Flores began serving on the board of ERCOT as Vice Chair.

Electoral history

Main article: United States House of Representatives elections, 2018
2018 17th Congressional District of Texas Elections
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Republican Bill Flores (I) 134,841 56.8%
Democratic Rick Kennedy 98,070 41.3%
Libertarian Peter Churchman 4,440 1.9%

Main article: United States House of Representatives elections, 2016
2016 17th Congressional District of Texas Elections
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Republican Bill Flores (I) 149,157 60.8%
Democratic Bill Matta 61,245 35.2%
Libertarian Clark Patterson 9,685 3.9%
2016 17th Congressional District of Texas Republican Primary Election
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Republican Bill Flores (I) 60,502 72.4%
Republican Ralph Patterson 15,411 18.5%
Republican Caleb Sims 7,634 9.1%

Main article: United States House of Representatives elections, 2014
2014 17th Congressional District of Texas Elections
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Republican Bill Flores (I) 85,807 64.58%
Democratic Nick Haynes 43,049 32.4%
Libertarian Shawn Michael Hamilton 4,009 3.02%

Main article: United States House of Representatives elections, 2012
2012 17th Congressional District of Texas Elections[43]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Republican Bill Flores (I) 143,284 79.9%
Libertarian Ben Easton 35,978 20.1%
2012 17th Congressional District of Texas Republican Primary Election
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Republican Bill Flores (I) 40,913 82.6%
Republican George W. Hindman 8,628 17.4%

Main article: United States House of Representatives elections, 2010
2010 17th Congressional District of Texas Elections[21]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Republican Bill Flores 106,275 61.8%
Democratic Chet Edwards 62,926 36.6%

See also

References

  1. ^ "Guide to the New Congress" (PDF). CQ Roll Call. November 4, 2010. Archived from the original (PDF) on July 8, 2011. Retrieved November 24, 2010.
  2. ^ "Profile for Rep. Chet Edwards, Texas Democrat, East central – Waco, College Station, Bryan". Roll Call. November 24, 1951. Archived from the original on August 5, 2012. Retrieved November 24, 2010.
  3. ^ "Former congressman Bill Flores named Vice Chair of ERCOT". KBTX. Bryan, Texas. Retrieved February 23, 2022.
  4. ^ a b Petty, Ty (October 25, 2010). "Republican candidate challenges incumbent". Texas A&M University The Battalion. Archived from the original on February 3, 2013. Retrieved November 1, 2010.
  5. ^ Shapiro, Michael W. (November 10, 2010). "National organization touting Flores' Hispanic roots". Waco Tribune-Herald. Retrieved October 4, 2019.
  6. ^ a b c d e Cadis, Daniel (October 21, 2010). "Flores challenges 10-term incumbent". Houston Baptist Univ. Collegian. Archived from the original on October 26, 2010. Retrieved October 24, 2010.
  7. ^ a b "Tribute Wall". The Association of Former Students. Retrieved December 7, 2010.
  8. ^ a b c d "Biography – Congressman Bill Flores". U.S. Congress. Washington, D.C. Retrieved November 25, 2014.
  9. ^ Barr, Greg.Investor builds energy base, New private equity fuels funding for start-up companies Archived July 15, 2011, at the Wayback Machine, Houston Business Journal, May 11, 2007.
  10. ^ Press Release. Phoenix Exploration Company Acquires Gulf of Mexico/Gulf Coast Assets from Cabot Oil and Gas Corporation for $340 Million Archived July 21, 2011, at the Wayback Machine, The Carlyle Group, August 30, 2006.
  11. ^ Meetings Texas Real Estate Commission Archived July 5, 2009, at the Wayback Machine, Texas Real Estate Commission, February 23, 2009.
  12. ^ William Flores Form 4, U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission, March 22, 2005.
  13. ^ Flores rolls to runoff win; Canseco comes from behind, Houston Chronicle, April 14, 2010.
  14. ^ Blake, Aaron. Wealthy businessman to challenge Rep. Chet Edwards, The Hill, December 15, 2009.
  15. ^ "Rob Curnock Profile". Texas Tribune. April 10, 2010. Archived from the original on December 4, 2010. Retrieved December 2, 2010.
  16. ^ Texas Secretary of State Election Results[permanent dead link], April 13, 2010.
  17. ^ Watkins, Matthew. Bill Flores wins GOP runoff, Bryan-College Station The Eagle, April 14, 2010.
  18. ^ Shapiro, Michael W. Edwards, Gramm spar as ex-senator endorses Flores, Waco Tribune-Herald, April 8, 2010.
  19. ^ Tinsley, Anna (October 23, 2010). "District 17 congressional race getting hotter as Election Day nears". Fort Worth Star-Telegram. Retrieved October 24, 2010. He gained significant GOP backing, including an endorsement from former President George H. W. Bush and support from 2008 Republican presidential nominee John McCain, who filmed a commercial for him.
  20. ^ "2010 Race: Texas District 17". OpenSecrets.org. October 13, 2010. Archived from the original on October 27, 2010. Retrieved October 24, 2010.
  21. ^ a b "2010 General Election, Election Night Returns, Unofficial Elections Results As Of: 11/3/2010 12:14:58 PM". Texas Secretary of State. November 3, 2010. Retrieved November 22, 2010.[permanent dead link]
  22. ^ "Chet Edwards ousted after 20 years in Congress - AP Texas Politics". Houston Chronicle. November 12, 2010. Archived from the original on November 12, 2010. Retrieved October 21, 2018.
  23. ^ "Chet Edwards ousted after 20 years in Congress". Archived from the original on March 13, 2012. Retrieved May 15, 2018.
  24. ^ "Election Results". Texas Secretary of State. November 8, 2016. Retrieved December 17, 2016.
  25. ^ "TX-17 Election Results (NYT)". New York Times. November 6, 2018.
  26. ^ Turner, Kris (November 5, 2010). "Meet Texas' new congressmen: Bill Flores". Houston Chronicle. Archived from the original on November 10, 2010. Retrieved November 16, 2010.
  27. ^ Ocana, Damarys (December 23, 2010). "New Latinos in Power: Jaime Lynn Herrera, David Rivera, Bill Flores". Latina. Latina Media Features LLC. Retrieved January 6, 2011. He's also vowed to push for the creation of new nuclear plants as a way to make energy more efficient, while expanding incentives to allow more solar and wind energy.
  28. ^ Blake, Aaron (January 29, 2017). "Coffman, Gardner join Republicans against President Trump's travel ban; here's where the rest stand". Denver Post. Retrieved January 30, 2017.
  29. ^ Blood, Michael R.; Riccardi, Nicholas (December 5, 2020). "Biden officially secures enough electors to become president". AP News. Archived from the original on December 8, 2020. Retrieved December 12, 2020.
  30. ^ Liptak, Adam (December 11, 2020). "Supreme Court Rejects Texas Suit Seeking to Subvert Election". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Archived from the original on December 11, 2020. Retrieved December 12, 2020.
  31. ^ "Order in Pending Case" (PDF). Supreme Court of the United States. December 11, 2020. Archived (PDF) from the original on December 11, 2020. Retrieved December 11, 2020.
  32. ^ Diaz, Daniella. "Brief from 126 Republicans supporting Texas lawsuit in Supreme Court". CNN. Archived from the original on December 12, 2020. Retrieved December 11, 2020.
  33. ^ Fuller, Matt (November 18, 2014). "New RSC Chairman Flores: 'I'm No Shill for Leadership'". Roll Call. Retrieved January 28, 2020.
  34. ^ Erickson, Philip (January 13, 2018). "Flores' office defends policy of blocking some objecting online commenters". Waco Tribune-Herald. Retrieved May 1, 2021.
  35. ^ "Members". House Baltic Caucus. Retrieved February 21, 2018.
  36. ^ "Members". Congressional Western Caucus. Retrieved June 27, 2018.
  37. ^ "Members of the Veterinary Medicine Caucus". Veterinary Medicine Caucus. Archived from the original on September 21, 2018. Retrieved October 12, 2018.
  38. ^ "H.R. 2728 – Summary". United States Congress. Retrieved November 20, 2013.
  39. ^ Kasperowicz, Pete (November 19, 2013). "House advances drilling, fracking bills". The Hill. Retrieved November 21, 2013.
  40. ^ "H.R. 2728 – All Actions". United States Congress. Retrieved November 20, 2013.
  41. ^ a b "Bill Flores for Congress". Archived from the original on October 28, 2010. Retrieved November 1, 2010. Following his graduation, Bill married Gina, the girl he pursued in high school. They have been married for thirty-two years and are the parents of two adult sons, Will and John. John and his wife, Aimee, were to have the first grandchild in early 2011.
  42. ^ "Ten Southern Baptists sworn in as new reps". Baptist Press. January 5, 2011. Archived from the original on December 26, 2014. Retrieved December 25, 2014.
  43. ^ "General elections 2012" (PDF). Texas Maniac. 2012. Retrieved December 27, 2012.

External links

U.S. House of Representatives Preceded byChet Edwards Member of the U.S. House of Representativesfrom Texas's 17th congressional district 2011–2021 Succeeded byPete Sessions Party political offices Preceded byRob Woodall Chair of the Republican Study Committee 2015–2017 Succeeded byMark Walker U.S. order of precedence (ceremonial) Preceded byNick Lampsonas Former US Representative Order of precedence of the United Statesas Former US Representative Succeeded byTom Barrettas Former US Representative
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