Updated Mar 2, 2022 - Politics & Policy

Incumbent Cuellar leads AOC-backed Cisneros in Texas district

Asher Price

Jessica Cisneros is facing off against Henry Cuellar in a South Texas Democratic congressional primary — Combination images of Jessica Cisneros, left, Democratic U.S. House candidate for Texas, and U.S. Rep. Henry Cuellar. Photos: Matthew Busch/Bloomberg via Getty Images; Tom Williams/CQ Roll Call

An embattled South Texas congressman holds a narrow lead over a progressive backed by U.S. Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-N.Y.) as vote-counting winds down early Wednesday in a closely watched Democratic primary race.

Driving the news: U.S. Rep. Henry Cuellar, a Democrat from Laredo, has a 50% to 45.4% lead over Jessica Cisneros, an immigration attorney, with more than 99% of the votes counted in Texas' 28th congressional district.

A third candidate has taken just shy of 5% of the vote — and if no candidate tops 50%, the top two vote-getters head to a runoff.
The Associated Press overnight Tuesday declared that Cuellar and Cisneros were headed to a runoff.

Why it matters: Cisneros' campaign became a cause among the Democrats' progressive wing as it sought to shift the politics of the party.

Ocasio-Cortez flew to Texas in February to rally for Cisneros.
Greg Casar, another AOC-backed candidate, won his Democratic primary for an open, heavily Democratic congressional seat that runs from Austin to San Antonio.
Of note: U.S. Sen. Elizabeth Warren also came to Texas in February to rally for Casar and Cisneros.

Yes, but: Cuellar had a deep South Texas organization — though he grew especially vulnerable after the FBI raided his home in January and a federal grand jury issued subpoenas for records regarding work the congressman may have performed for foreign governments.

What's next: Long reliably Democratic, the 28th congressional district was recently redrawn by Texas lawmakers to make it more competitive for Republicans.

The Cook Political Report ranks the district as "lean Democratic."

Editor's note: This article has been updated with new details throughout.

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Incumbent Cuellar leads AOC-backed Cisneros in Texas district

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