A congressional candidate in Texas has been actively campaigning at events at churches where her campaign banners are on display, potentially violating federal regulations that prohibit what the law calls “political campaign intervention” as a condition of tax exemptions for religious nonprofits.
Republican candidate Mayra Flores, who was endorsed by Donald Trump in the primaries, is running in this election to unseat Democratic Rep. Vicente Gonzalez in South Texas’ competitive 34th District.
In recent months, Flores has appeared at events at churches that are promoted as revivals, prayer events and luncheons but sometimes appear to have a decidedly partisan atmosphere.
Although political candidates regularly appear at churches and even speak from the pulpit during an election cycle, the visits and speeches are usually carefully coordinated. Federal tax law warns of violations if an individual is publicly recognized as a candidate for an upcoming election by the organization in its communications regarding their participation in an event or if the organization does not maintain a nonpartisan atmosphere.
Tax-exempt organizations may take positions on policy issues that divide candidates, but violations can arise if an organization’s message at the event favors or opposes a candidate for election – even without explicitly saying so.
In early August, Flores attended a community prayer event held for her at the RGV Collective Church in Harlingen, in the Rio Grande Valley on the U.S.-Mexico border. Large campaign banners were displayed on stage reading “Mayra Flores for Congress” with an image of the candidate and “God, Family Country” written underneath.
The church and the candidate posted photos of the event on their social media pages, showing congregants and the pastors, Manny and Erica Espinoza, praying for Flores on stage.
The church’s Facebook page on August 7 includes images of the event and the post: “Epic event last night with Mayra Flores! Thank you to everyone who came to support her and her campaign. Help us continue to pray for her, her family and the future of our nation. Go vote!!!”
John Darcy, an academic and tax expert based in Edinburgh, Texas, said: “They should have an open invitation to all major candidates and if the church hasn’t invited them all, then that’s a serious offense – plus, the way they meeting if they engaged in any activity during the meeting that suggested more than just introducing the candidate.”
The RGV Collective Church did not respond to a request for comment.
In another instance, in mid-October, Flores appeared at Livingway Family Church in Brownsville at an event called Revival on the Border, organized under the umbrella of the 501(c)3 charity Bienvenido, which describes itself as a nonpartisan organization committed to commitment to the advancement of the Hispanic community and has supported Trump.
At the church, a national pro-Trump TV show, FlashPoint, held a live taping with conservative host Gene Bailey and guest speaker Abraham Enriquez, founder of Bienvenido, making pro-Trump and pro-Republican comments to the audience.
Flores also spoke during the live event. Part of her platform is weaving Christianity into the U.S. government, and she made statements like, “When we see religious leaders getting involved in politics, it gives me hope for our country.”
The Livingway Church did not respond to a request for comment.
Flores also appeared at Cross Church in San Benito, Texas, during a church luncheon in late September. On her campaign’s social media, Flores posted photos with attendees and herself next to Pastors Jaime and Rose Mary Loya, with the message “Re-elected Congresswoman Mayra Flores” in the background.
Flores had won the seat in a special election in June 2022, turning the district red for the first time, but lost it again to Gonzalez in the November midterm elections.
In her post about the Cross Church event, she thanked the church and referenced a discussion about “the importance of electing representatives who have our biblical values.”
Darcy said of such events: “It suggests that the church is exhibiting bias by having only one candidate at a church-sponsored event on a 501(c)3 property without granting a similar permit to the opposing candidate.”
The Kruiskerk did not respond to a request for comment.
Gonzalez’s campaign said their candidate was not invited to any of the events mentioned.
The federal tax code further states that a candidate appearing or speaking would not prima facie violate the tax code’s prohibition on what the tax code calls political campaign intervention, a legal definition related to but narrower than political bias.
However, if the candidate or a representative mentions their candidacy or if there is any campaign activity taking place, there could be a potential violation, Darcy said.
Gonzalez said, “I think churches need to be thoughtful and careful about that. Let us maintain the separation of church and state.”
He added that he believes churchgoers attend services to hear the word of God and not to hear political rhetoric or support for one candidate over another.
Flores attends many campaign events accompanied by a local pastor, Luis Cabrera, who sometimes prays for her at the beginning of a rally or event.
Cabrera founded a movement with a name that puts a spin on Trump’s Make America Great Again (Maga) campaign slogan: “Make America Godly Again,” which he wears on T-shirts and hats. The movement discusses the need to take a biblical position on current issues and discusses what it calls godly citizenship.
Gonzalez also said he had received complaints from some voters who attend the RGV Collective Church about Flores’ campaign at their church.
When asked for comment, Flores’ campaign referred the Guardian to the National Republican Congressional Committee (NRCC), a Washington body dedicated to electing Republicans to the House of Representatives. The committee returned information showing that Gonzalez attended church events in 2016, during his first campaign for office, with photos showing him meeting and greeting people at such events while wearing a badge resembling Vicente Gonzalez for the United States Congress to stand.
Gonzalez said, “There is a difference between running your campaign from an actual church and attending community events as a candidate. They’re saying this because they can’t defend what she did.”
Flores later sent a statement saying, “Why a British newspaper would try to attack the faith community in South Texas is beyond me. As our local churches and faith groups come under attack, I pray that our community will remain steadfast in our fight for God, family and country.”
Joyce Hamilton, a member of a Presbyterian church in Harlingen and a Democrat, said she was disturbed by the conflation of politics and religion in Flores’ campaign, which went against what she sees as the U.S.’s “sacred” separation of church and state. focused on. set up.
“What I’ve seen that really shakes me to my core is candidates relying on their religion as if it gives them more than just the moral right to be elected, but some kind of coercion on the conscience of American voters ,” she said. .
She added: “It is problematic for me as a person who follows Christianity and has my own spiritual quest… It feels insulting to me when someone claims that he or she represents God, family and country. I wouldn’t pretend to be the Biblical candidate.”
Hamilton was also disturbed by the fact that the churches seemed to be trespassing on the campaign trail for Flores.
“It makes me feel very uncomfortable… mixing politics and church, and possibly putting pressure on people in the sense that ‘as a Christian I should vote this way’ doesn’t fit with my views,” she said .
Jan Demro, a member of a Lutheran church in Harlingen, also strongly endorsed the separation of church and state that was the basis for the founding of the United States, and left with strong feelings about the Flores campaign signs at church events.
“I am absolutely opposed to the idea that political campaigns belong in a church. It makes me both angry and sad because I feel like she is taking advantage of the people she is preaching to. What she preaches about is more Christian nationalism than Christianity.”
