Susceptible Democratic Texas Congressman Vicente Gonzalez skipped a quantity of votes in the House of Representatives this week, citing the "ongoing public health and fitness unexpected emergency" of COVID-19 as his cause to vote remotely while he attended a range of occasions in his household state as a substitute.

The embattled Democrat opted to vote by proxy, the procedure in which a member of Congress can have one more member vote on laws in their absence, picking out Rep. Lou Correa, D-Calif., to vote in his stead.

"I continue on to be unable to bodily attend proceedings in the Dwelling Chamber because of to the ongoing public wellness unexpected emergency and hereby grant the authority to caste my vote by proxy to the Honorable Lou Correa (California), who has agreed to serve as my proxy," Gonzalez's official proxy letter mentioned.

Of the votes missed by Gonzalez, the most substantial-profile was the Friday passage of a mostly Democrat-backed bill that averted a shutdown of the federal authorities, and was explained by some as a very important piece of legislation.

DEMOCRATIC Prospect VICENTE GONZALEZ Promises MAYRA FLORES, SUPPORTERS ‘STOLE’ TEXAS Special ELECTION

Rep. Vicente Gonzalez, D-Texas, attends a Residence Financial Companies Committee hearing titled Monetary Coverage and the State of the Economic system that includes testimony by Federal Reserve Chairman Jerome Powell in Rayburn Building on February 27, 2018. (Tom Williams/CQ Roll Get in touch with/ Getty Pictures)

WHD News Electronic attained out to Gonzalez's place of work for comment on why he chose to be in Texas for a unique marketing campaign party on Thursday evening hosted by the Cameron County Democratic Celebration alternatively than the a lot of votes held in the Dwelling on Thursday and Friday, but didn't obtain an speedy response.

His place of work responded soon after publishing that his attendance at the celebration took put right after House voting experienced finished on Thursday evening, and that he attended 3 other occasions in an official potential during the Friday voting hours in which the invoice to steer clear of a authorities shutdown was handed.

A variety of other users also opted to vote by proxy, but it was not straight away clear if they were being also attending occasions. Household Speaker Nancy Pelosi extended proxy voting before this thirty day period right until following the November election, declaring that the coronavirus pandemic even now amounted to a public wellness emergency.

Other customers have also continued to use the language citing a general public overall health crisis in their proxy letters when not able to go to votes in the Property Chamber, including Rep. Mayra Flores, R-Texas, Gonzalez's opponent.

PELOSI EXTENDS PROXY VOTING IN THE Home Right until NOVEMBER Due TO CORONAVIRUS PANDEMIC WHICH BIDEN Mentioned 'IS OVER'

Gonzalez, who at the moment represents Texas' 15th Congressional District, is going through a tricky re-election struggle towards Flores in the state's 34th Congressional District, following selecting to run there following the redrawing of district maps.

WHD News' Ability rankings has rated the race as "lean Democratic."

Rep. Mayra Flores is the initial Republican Latina at any time elected to Congress from Texas, and she is also the initial feminine Mexican-born member of the Dwelling of Associates.  (WHD News Picture/Joshua Comins)

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The basic election will be held Tuesday, Nov. 8.