After months of a bitter primary rematch between nine-term Rep. Henry Cuellar (D-TX) and progressive lawyer Jessica Cisneros, the battle isn’t done yet.
As of early Wednesday, neither candidate managed to break 50 percent in the primary contest, the AP reports. In Texas, if no candidate receives a majority of the vote, the top two finishers in a primary will compete head-to-head in a runoff. This year’s runoff, which will feature Cuellar and Cisneros, who received 48 percent and 47 percent of the vote, respectively, will occur on May 24. A third candidate, Tannya Benavides, received 5 percent.
Cuellar is one of the most conservative Democrats in Congress and has drawn the ire of progressives for years. In 2020, Cisneros challenged the congressman but came up short by about 4 percentage points in the Democratic primary. But the 28-year-old attorney was determined to give it another shot in 2022, now armed with name-recognition, campaign experience, and backing from influential outside groups.
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In January, her candidacy gained steam after Cuellar’s campaign office and home were raided by the FBI as part of an investigation into apparent business dealings with Azerbaijan.
Cuellar kept a low profile in the weeks leading up to the election—making only a handful of appearances and saying little about the FBI investigation that’s loomed over his candidacy. This month he skipped the district’s annual parade celebrating George Washington’s birthday, where he had often appeared with House Democratic leaders to show off his D.C. clout. Cuellar has not been charged with a crime.
Though physically absent, his ads were everywhere. Some pummeled Cisneros, others touted his deep roots in the Laredo community.
Cisneros hit back with ads of her own, suggesting Cuellar sold out to “private prisons, Kochs, and insurance companies,” and calling herself the “underdog.” Cisneros’ campaign also leaned into its major backers, bringing Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-MA) and Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-NY) to town to rally voters.
Throughout the race, Cisneros highlighted her roots in the area, telling stories of her family selling steak plates on the road to help pay for health care. But her homegrown heritage is up against the near-blanket presence of the Cuellar family throughout the community.
The congressman is known in the district for bringing funding and projects to the area. His sister is a former tax assessor for the county and his brother currently serves as the county sheriff. “Cuellar” is generally a name people know, in one way or another.
The winner of the Democratic primary will not have time to bask in the glow of victory.
Republicans, emboldened by the party’s gains with Latino voters in 2020, have had the district on their list of potential pickups even before the FBI came knocking on Cuellar’s door. They hope any damaged image of Cuellar amid an FBI investigation or the complex politics of a progressive in a mildly Democratic district could add to their chances to flip the seat into the GOP’s column.
The winner of the Republican primary contest has not yet been called. The general election is Nov. 8.
