SAN ANTONIO — Democratic challenger Jessica Cisneros, a 28-year-old immigration attorney running for Congress with heavy support from progressives, has forced a primary runoff against U.S. Rep. Henry Cuellar, the Associated Press reported early Wednesday morning.
Cuellar received 50% of the vote, while Cisneros received 45%.
The race was among the most heated in Texas’ first-in-the-nation primary. Cuellar is among the most conservative Democrats in Congress, and a Cisneros victory would bring a seismic liberal shift to the district that runs from San Antonio to the Texas border.
Cisneros is a former intern of Cuellar’s who also ran against him in 2020. She narrowly lost, and this time ran a more aggressive campaign that attacked Cuellar over FBI agents searching his home just before voting began.
The Associated Press has learned that the investigation relates to the former Soviet Republic of Azerbaijan. Cuellar has not been charged with a crime and has denied wrongdoing.
The runoff is in May.
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On the Republican side, Cassy Garcia and Sandra Whitten were poised to go to a runoff election, as well.
About the race
Texas' 28th District stretches from San Antonio down to Laredo and will feature another contest by candidates representing different aspects of the Democratic Party.
This year's primary featured a rematch of the 2020 primary. In 2020, Rep. Henry Cuellar (D-TX 28), who was backed by U.S. House Leadership, defeated Jessica Cisneros, who was backed by progressive members of Congress and political action committees
About the candidates
Henry Cuellar
Perhaps Cisneros sees an opening this year due to Cuellar facing scrutiny after an FBI raid at his home and office in late January. He hasn't been charged and has denied any wrongdoing.
Cuellar, who first joined Congress in 2005 and is considered a moderate Democrat. Cuellar was the only Democrat in the U.S. House opposed to federal legislation legalizing abortion in a September 2021 floor vote. Cuellar's campaign has highlighted his membership on the House Appropriations Committee and said that he has used that position to bring funding to the district for public education, healthcare services, small businesses, veteran's programs, and immigration services.
Jessica Cisneros
Cisneros is an immigration attorney, and since the 2020 primary, she has worked at Texas RioGrande Legal Aid and the Refugee and Immigrant Center for Education and Legal Service in Laredo, according to her campaign.
Cisneros is an immigration attorney and supports Medicare For All, access to reproductive planning and contraception, a pathway to citizenship for immigrants, and the For The People Act as key policy goals. Cisneros has criticized Cuellar for his abortion stance, his votes on federal immigration proposals, and his response to the coronavirus pandemic, citing the latter as a key reason she ran again
Tannya Judith Benavides
Tannya Benavides was born in Brownsville, Texas. Benavides earned a bachelor's in political science from Texas State University in 2015 and a master's in education from Johns Hopkins University in 2017. Her professional experience includes working as an educator and community organizer. Benavides has been affiliated with the No Border Wall Coalition in Laredo and the Clean Air Laredo Coalition.
Republican candidates running for District 28
Below are the Republican candidates running for District 28, with links to their biographies on Ballotpedia:
Election Day for the Texas primary is Tuesday, March 1, 2022. Click here for a sample ballot and list of polling locations.