Gov. Greg Abbott has withdrawn his endorsement of David Flores, a Texas Republican who referenced the governor’s support during a DWI arrest.
Flores, who is running to represent Texas House District 144, appears in a video circulated Oct. 1 telling officers during a DWI arrest earlier this year that Abbott had endorsed him, the Houston Chronicle reported. The video was released by the Lone Star Project, a federal political action committee.
The video shows officers administering a field sobriety test to Flores. As they requested a breath sample, he asked whether he could receive a warning and he later appears to use a racial slur.
"The governor just freaking endorsed me," Flores can be heard saying in the video. "I have very huge endorsements."
Deer Park police pulled over Flores for speeding early in the morning on Feb. 14 and found a blood alcohol content of 0.11%; in Texas, the legal limit is 0.08%, the Chronicle reported, citing a spokesman for the Deer Park Police Department. He pleaded guilty to a misdemeanor charge of driving while intoxicated in June and was sentenced to probation, according to court records.
Abbott press secretary Eduardo Leal confirmed the endorsement had been withdrawn and provided the following statement:
“There is no place for this kind of behavior or language. Our brave law enforcement officers put their lives on the line every day to keep our communities safe, and Governor Abbott will always stand with the men and women of law enforcement. In light of this conduct, Governor Abbott has withdrawn his endorsement of David Flores.”
USA TODAY reached out to the Flores campaign for comment.
Flores shared a Facebook post on Sept. 1, shaking hands with Abbott at a roundtable discussion.
"We may not always agree — and that’s okay. Real change doesn’t happen by standing outside the room. It happens when we sit at the table, speak up, listen, and bring our ideas directly to the decision-makers," Flores wrote.
Report: Flores has been arrested several times
The Houston Chronicle reported in 2017 that Flores had been in jail five times prior to running for the mayor of Pasadena. Flores was "upfront about troubles that started in his teenage years that he says have helped him grow to be a better man," the Chronicle reported.
"Starting from my junior year at Sam Rayburn High School, I got in trouble with the law and was in and out of jail for five misdemeanors from 2001 to 2004," Flores said in the report.
Flores pleaded guilty to misdemeanors including theft in 2001 and 2003, assault and evading arrest in 2001 and giving a false name to a police officer in 2004.
But in 2004, Flores said that with support from his wife and God, he was able to turn his life around, according to the Chronicle.
"Since 2004, I realized that to be successful I had to start telling the truth and do things correctly," he said.
Natassia Paloma may be reached at npaloma@gannett.com, @NatassiaPaloma on X, natassia_paloma on Instagram, and Natassia Paloma on Facebook.
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Gov. Greg Abbott pulls endorsement after candidate's DWI video surfaces
