Eric Flores
His campaign lists U.S. energy independence among his priorities, and says he will fight for federal investment in water infrastructure, protect farm and city water supplies, and push for long-term regional water planning.
Back to the race record
Issue record
Energy, water and the environment
In short
Flores's campaign backs energy independence, federal water investment and regional water planning. Gonzalez's campaign credits him with securing permits for LNG projects at the Port of Brownsville. In a 2024 survey Royal backed energy independence and called electric cars over-rated; Espinoza's campaign would ban LNG exports and fracking and invest in solar and wind. A federal regulator issues LNG terminal permits; Gonzalez's votes and bills back LNG exports in general without naming the Brownsville projects.
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Campaign positions
What each campaign says.
Vicente Gonzalez
His issues page has no energy or environment section. His accomplishments page counts securing permits for LNG projects at the Port of Brownsville among what he has done for the region's economy.
Chris Royal
His current site does not address energy. In his 2024 survey he said he wants to be on the side of energy independence, and called electric cars over-rated.
Eddie Espinoza
His platform would ban LNG exports and fracking, invest in solar, wind and utility-scale batteries, make the oil and gas industry clean up flaring, produced water and abandoned wells, and improve drainage and flood control.
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Evidence timeline
What the record shows.
campaign position
Vicente Gonzalez: Not comparable yet
His House vote and cosponsorship support LNG exports generally, not specific Brownsville permits, issued by a regulator. The House-passed export bill did not become law.
Full detail
His campaign says he secured permits for LNG projects at the Port of Brownsville. On February 15, 2024 he voted Yea on the Unlocking our Domestic LNG Potential Act, H.R. 7176 (Roll Call 52, 224-200), one of nine Democrats who did. It would have repealed restrictions on gas exports and imports and required the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission to treat them as in the public interest when approving export terminals. It passed the House and did not become law. In November 2022 he was an original cosponsor of the LNG For Allies Act, H.R. 9355, which would have sped up approval of gas exports to U.S. allies. Limit: LNG terminal permits come from the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, which the Natural Gas Act gives sole power to approve them. Neither bill names the Brownsville projects, so his record shows support for LNG exports in general, not these permits.
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Sources12 source records
- Campaign home pagehttps://www.ericflores.com/
Eric Flores for Congress · Reviewed Sep 23, 2026
Campaign-controlled source; the page carries "PAID FOR BY ERIC FLORES FOR CONGRESS" and is the website his committee filed with the FEC. It links an X account, @EricDFloress, an Instagram account, @eric4texas, and a Facebook page.
candidate statement
For: Eric Flores: campaign position
- Prioritieshttps://www.ericflores.com/priorities
Eric Flores for Congress · Reviewed Sep 23, 2026
Campaign-controlled source. Eight subjects: South Texas and the Coastal Bend, the cost of living, infrastructure, water, veterans, seniors, farmers and ranchers, and small business. There is no section on health care, education or the border, though the home page lists securing the border among his priorities.
candidate statement
For: Eric Flores: campaign position
- Issueshttps://vicentegonzalez.com/issues/
Vicente Gonzalez for Congress · Reviewed Sep 23, 2026
Campaign-controlled source. Seven subjects: affordability, seniors, women's rights, education, veterans, health care and jobs. It states goals rather than proposals, and names no bill. There is no section on the border, energy or campaign finance.
candidate statement
For: Vicente Gonzalez: campaign position
- Accomplishmentshttps://vicentegonzalez.com/accomplishments/
Vicente Gonzalez for Congress · Reviewed Sep 23, 2026
Campaign-controlled source and the page where he makes claims about his own record: seven sections on the economy, jobs, seniors, veterans, women's rights, health care and education. Every quoted sentence on this desk was matched against the live page.
candidate statement
For: Vicente Gonzalez: campaign position; Vicente Gonzalez: Not comparable yet
- Chris Royal for Congresshttps://chriscongress.com/
Chris Royal for Congress · Reviewed Sep 23, 2026
A one-page site built on a website builder, much of it marked under construction. It carries no paid-for line, so it was identified by its name, its Libertarian content and its closing request to vote for Chris Royal in November; it is the address search results give for his campaign. It links no social account. Read September 23, 2026.
candidate statement
For: Chris Royal: campaign position
- Chris Royalhttps://ballotpedia.org/Chris_Royal
Ballotpedia · Reviewed Sep 23, 2026
Carries his own answers to Ballotpedia's candidate survey, given in 2024 when he was running for this seat as an independent. They are his words but they are two years old, and he was not on the 2024 general-election ballot. Used for his biography and for positions where his current site says nothing, each marked with its year. The page lists a personal Facebook account.
candidate statement
For: Chris Royal: campaign position
- Prioritieshttps://espinoza4tx.com/priorities/
Espinoza For Congress · Reviewed Sep 23, 2026
Campaign-controlled source; his platform as a list.
candidate statement
For: Eddie Espinoza: campaign position
- Roll Call 52, 2024, H.R. 7176, Unlocking our Domestic LNG Potential Acthttps://clerk.house.gov/Votes/202452
Office of the Clerk, U.S. House of Representatives · Reviewed Sep 25, 2026
Recorded vote of February 15, 2024; the question was on passage; it passed 224-200. Democrats voted 9-200. Read from the Clerk's roll-call XML by Gonzalez's member ID, G000581.
official legislative record
For: Vicente Gonzalez: Not comparable yet
- H.R. 7176, Unlocking our Domestic LNG Potential Act of 2024https://www.congress.gov/bill/118th-congress/house-bill/7176
Congress.gov · Reviewed Sep 25, 2026
Sponsor August Pfluger of Texas. Passed the House on February 15, 2024; its action list shows no public law.
official legislative record
For: Vicente Gonzalez: Not comparable yet
- H.R. 7176, as passed by the Househttps://api.govinfo.gov/packages/BILLS-118hr7176eh/htm
U.S. Government Publishing Office · Reviewed Sep 25, 2026
The engrossed text. Section 2 strikes the Natural Gas Act's separate export and import approval (section 3(a)-(c)), leaves the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission alone to approve export and import facilities, including LNG terminals, and requires it to deem those exports and imports consistent with the public interest.
official legislative record
For: Vicente Gonzalez: Not comparable yet
- H.R. 9355, LNG For Allies Acthttps://www.congress.gov/bill/117th-congress/house-bill/9355
Congress.gov · Reviewed Sep 25, 2026
Sponsor August Pfluger of Texas, introduced November 22, 2022; Gonzalez is an original cosponsor. The introduced text, BILLS-117hr9355ih on GovInfo, would amend the Natural Gas Act to expedite approval of gas export applications to certain allies. It was referred to committee.
official legislative record
For: Vicente Gonzalez: Not comparable yet
- 15 U.S.C. 717b, exportation or importation of natural gas; LNG terminalshttps://uscode.house.gov/view.xhtml?req=granuleid:USC-prelim-title15-section717b&num=0&edition=prelim
Office of the Law Revision Counsel, U.S. House of Representatives · Reviewed Sep 25, 2026
Section 3 of the Natural Gas Act. Subsection (e)(1) gives the Commission exclusive authority to approve or deny an application for the siting, construction, expansion or operation of an LNG terminal.
official legislative record
For: Vicente Gonzalez: Not comparable yet
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