Bill Flores | |
|---|---|
.jpg) Official portrait, 2011 | |
| Chair of theRepublican Study Committee | |
| In office January 3, 2015 – January 3, 2017 | |
| Preceded by | Rob Woodall |
| Succeeded by | Mark Walker |
| Member of theU.S. House of Representatives fromTexas's17th district | |
| In office January 3, 2011 – January 3, 2021 | |
| Preceded by | Chet Edwards |
| Succeeded by | Pete Sessions |
| Personal details | |
| Born | William Hose Flores Sr. (1954-02-25)February 25, 1954 (age 71) |
| Political party | Republican |
| Spouse | Gina Flores |
| Children | 2 |
| Education | Texas A&M University (BBA) Houston Baptist University (MBA) |
William Hose Flores Sr. (/ˈflɔːrɛz/; born February 25, 1954)[1] is an American businessman, the Vice Chair of theElectric Reliability Council of Texas (ERCOT),[2] as well as the interim Chair of ERCOT.[3]
From 2011 to 2021, he was theU.S. representative forTexas's 17th congressional district. Flores chose not to seek re-election in2020 after five terms in office. He was succeeded byPete Sessions, the former U.S. representative forTexas's 32nd congressional district. Flores is a member of theRepublican Party and the formerchief executive officer of Phoenix Exploration Company, anoil andnatural gas company.
Flores was born inCheyenne, Wyoming, at theF.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 inStratford in theTexas 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 meHispanic, they can, but I didn't advertise that way, and I'm an American first."[5] He graduated with aBBA,cum laude in accounting fromTexas A&M University in 1976.[6] While there, he was a member of theCorps of Cadets, theMSC Student Conference on National Affairs, theRoss 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 licensedCertified Public Accountant since 1978.[8] He also received aMaster of Business Administration fromHouston Baptist University in 1985.[6]
Flores served as thechief 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 theGulf 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 theTexas Real Estate Commission (appointed by GovernorRick Perry),[11] and a past director and former chairman of the board of theAssociation 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., andThe PARC, Inc, and theAlley Theater of Houston.[8]
He serves on the board of the Private Enterprise Research Center ofTexas A&M University and as a member of the board of trustees ofHouston Baptist University, where he serves as Vice Chair.[6]
In late 2009, Flores entered the Republican primary for the 17th District, held by 10-termDemocratic incumbentChet 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. SenatorPhil Gramm[18] After the primary win, Flores was also endorsed byGeorge H. W. Bush,John McCain,[19]Mitt Romney, andMike Huckabee.[6]
Through December 21, 2010, Flores's 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) andLibertarian 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) andLibertarian Peter Churchman with 4,415 (1.9 percent).[25]
Upon his swearing-in, Flores became the first Republican to represent Waco in Congress sinceReconstruction.[citation needed] Flores supports limited government and lower taxes[citation needed]; an end to the spending of theAmerican Recovery and Reinvestment Act[citation needed]; making the Bush-era tax cuts permanent[citation needed];anti-abortion positions[citation needed]; and stronger enforcement at theU.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 ConservativeRepublican Study Committee and theCongressional Hispanic Conference.
Flores supported PresidentDonald Trump's 2017executive 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]
In December 2020, Flores was one of 126 Republican members of theHouse of Representatives who signed anamicus brief in support ofTexas v. Pennsylvania, a lawsuit filed at theUnited States Supreme Court contesting the results of the2020 presidential election, in whichJoe Biden prevailed[29] over incumbentDonald Trump. The Supreme Court declined to hear the case on the basis that Texas lackedstanding underArticle III of the Constitution to challenge the results of the election held by another state.[30][31][32]
On November 18, 2014, Flores was elected to the Chairmanship of the HouseRepublican Study Committee. Flores was elected on the second ballot, securing 84 votes to South Carolina RepresentativeMick Mulvaney's 57.[33]
During his tenure in Congress, Flores had blocked constituents from contacting him through social media.[34]
Flores is married to Gina, whom he met in high school.[4] They have two sons.[41] Flores attends Central Church, a church inBryan.[42]
Flores has served as a member of theMays 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 theMays Business School of Texas A&M University.[41] In 2010, he was also recognized as a 'Distinguished Alumnus' by Texas A&M University.[7]
| 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% | ||
| 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% | ||
| 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% | ||
| 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% | ||
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Republican | Bill Flores (I) | 143,284 | 79.9% | ||
| Libertarian | Ben Easton | 35,978 | 20.1% | ||
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Republican | Bill Flores (I) | 40,913 | 82.6% | ||
| Republican | George W. Hindman | 8,628 | 17.4% | ||
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Republican | Bill Flores | 106,275 | 61.8% | ||
| Democratic | Chet Edwards | 62,926 | 36.6% | ||
He gained significant GOP backing, including an endorsement from former PresidentGeorge H. W. Bush and support from 2008 Republican presidential nomineeJohn McCain, who filmed a commercial for him.
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.
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.
| U.S. House of Representatives | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by | Member of theU.S. House of Representatives fromTexas's 17th congressional district 2011–2021 | Succeeded by |
| Party political offices | ||
| Preceded by | Chair of theRepublican Study Committee 2015–2017 | Succeeded by |
| U.S. order of precedence (ceremonial) | ||
| Preceded byas Former U.S. Representative | Order of precedence of the United States as Former U.S. Representative | Succeeded byas Former U.S. Representative |
| People | |
|---|---|
| Other | |
