(KRGV) — Voting has begun in Texas's 34th Congressional District, where four candidates are on the ballot.

Channel 5 News is introducing the candidates in alphabetical order by last name. The issues they talked about include the cost of living, water, flooding, and border security.

Green Party candidate Eddie Espinoza is an Army combat veteran and has worked 25 years as an elementary school teacher. He also ran for Texas Railroad Commissioner in 2024.

"One of the complaints I keep hearing over and over is the quality of our tap water in the San Benito area, in the Brownsville area," Espinoza said.

Espinoza said he wants long-term solutions for water and flooding. He is also calling for changes to health care and education.

"There are a lot of problems to be solved; water solutions are a top priority, flood control, Medicare for all, and free college and trade school for our young people," Espinoza said.

Republican candidate Eric Flores is a former federal prosecutor who has served as a municipal judge, city attorney, and officer in the Texas Army National Guard. This is his first run for political office.

"It was another call to service, having served on Operation Guardian Support as an infantry officer and then being a prosecutor on the border and seeing the broken policies that were coming out of D.C., specifically when it comes to the border," Flores said.

Flores said he wants to focus on border security and workforce development along with improving infrastructure and creating more job opportunities in South Texas.

"More jobs, better infrastructure, better water, and we need to pass legislation to keep our students here and keep them from going to Austin, Dallas, Houston, or wherever the case may be. The job is here, and the gem is right here in South Texas," Flores said.

Democratic candidate Vicente Gonzalez is serving his fifth term in Congress. He said his work has helped bring billions in federal funding to South Texas, and he still has more he wants to accomplish.

"There was a bill on the floor that was going to cut $57 billion from the VA and that would have a tremendous impact on over 40,000 vets that we have in South Texas, and it's people like that that keep me doing what I'm doing," Gonzalez said.

Gonzalez said families have told him the rising cost of living and access to health care are major concerns.

"We want to make life easier for your kids, make it easier to send your kids to school, to pay your bills, and to have a little bit left at the end of the month. Those are things I've been working on for a long time, and you can count on me," Gonzalez said.

Libertarian candidate Christopher Royal said he wants to reduce federal spending. He also said he would use a seat in Congress to give the public more information about how the government spends money.

"More weakening of the power of the dollar, more unaffordability, just that simple. How do you get it down? You've got to stop the debt," Royal said.

"I will be watching what's going on behind closed doors in Washington. I'm going to tell you the truth. I will get on my congressional web page, and I will publish what is going on behind closed doors," Royal said.

Royal is a retired teacher and law school graduate who has lived in the Valley since 1993. He has also run for Congress before as an independent.

Early voting ends on Oct. 30. Election Day is Nov. 3.

Click here for more election resources.

Watch the video above for the full story.