A newly elected House Republican from South Texas has canceled all meet-and-greet events after breaking her ankle at the gym but vowed to make it to Washington next month despite having also gained weight.
Rep.-elect Monica De La Cruz sent out two slightly different emails to her supporters and media Monday afternoon stating that she had fractured her ankle at a local gym earlier in the day.
“Unfortunately, I have to reschedule our district tour because I broke my ankle at the gym this morning. We had been planning this for weeks and I was really looking forward to thanking all of my supporters across TX-15,” De La Cruz wrote in an email to supporters.
“The good news is that I will be in Washington on January 3rd, ready to work for TX-15, albeit with a few extra pounds from Christmas and the cast I will be wearing for the next couple of weeks,” De La Cruz wrote.
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A different email sent to reporters gave a more detailed account of her injury, stating that De La Cruz had “fractured her left ankle while exercising this morning at a local gym in south Texas” and that she would need to “wear a cast for several weeks as she recovers from her injury.”
“On the advice of her doctor, she will postpone her district tour, which was scheduled to begin this evening,” the email continued.
De La Cruz had been scheduled to attend seven events across her border district, visiting constituents in Alice, Floresville, Karnes City, Pharr, Premont, Seguin, and Three Rivers. Most of the events were scheduled at restaurants, including Mexican and barbecue restaurants, a coffee shop, and a sports bar.
Newly elected Republican Congresswoman-Elect Monica De La Cruz of Texas 15th is traveling across South Texas this week meeting with constituents @monica4congress pic.twitter.com/uNRLcFHXJK
— Anna Giaritelli (@Anna_Giaritelli) December 12, 2022
The Republican Latina defeated Democrat Michelle Vallejo to make history in the district. It marked the first time in the 60 elections since 1903 that voters chose a Republican over a Democrat. De La Cruz’s district stretches from just east of San Antonio, Texas, and south 100 miles to include the Rio Grande Valley on the border.
The district’s incumbent, Rep. Vicente Gonzalez, defeated De La Cruz in 2020 but chose not to run in his home district following statewide redistricting that made the region less favorable for Democrats. He ran in the 34th Congressional District on the Gulf Coast against special-election winner Rep. Mayra Flores, another Latina candidate.
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De La Cruz has two children and founded her own insurance agency. She is the granddaughter of a Mexican immigrant.
De La Cruz made the national security and humanitarian crisis at the border a top issue in her campaign. Her district is home to Border Patrol’s Rio Grande Valley Sector, where nearly one-third of all agents nationwide are stationed, she said.
