Michelle Vallejo AP-23001033800071
Democratic House candidate Michelle Vallejo lost to Republican Rep. Monica De La Cruz by 9 points in 2022. Joel Martinez/The Monitor via AP

Democrats in Tight Rematches Are Going Hard on Border Security

As the Democratic Party adopts more hard-line policies on immigration, repeat candidates in competitive House races are seeing if the strategy can get them over the line.

Democratic House candidate Michelle Vallejo lost to Republican Rep. Monica De La Cruz by 9 points in 2022. Joel Martinez/The Monitor via AP

In 2022, Michelle Vallejo campaigned for a South Texas district with endorsements from the Congressional Progressive Caucus and prominent politicians like Bernie Sanders, who went to South Texas to rally with her.

This time, there’s no sign of national progressive lawmakers on Vallejo’s campaign website or with her on the campaign trail. And Vallejo’s most prominent message is something most progressives in Congress have pushed against: Democrats need to get much tougher on the border.

“Our community is being overwhelmed by the chaos at the border, and it’s time to get serious,” she said in an ad released last month. “We’ve had enough talk. It’s time to secure the border.”