Texas Democrats say Cuellar wins primary recount for Congressional seat

FILE – U.S. Rep. Henry Cuellar, D-Laredo, speaks during a campaign event, Wednesday, May 4, 2022, in San Antonio. Cuellar, a 17-year incumbent and one of the last anti-abortion Democrats in Congress, is in his toughest reelection campaign, facing a May 24 primary runoff against progressive Jessica Cisneros. (AP Photo/Eric Gay)

by: Will DuPree

Posted: Jun 21, 2022 / 04:53 PM CDT

Updated: Jun 21, 2022 / 06:44 PM CDT

AUSTIN (KXAN) — A contentious Democratic Congressional primary came to an end Tuesday, as party leaders officially said a recount named Rep. Henry Cuellar as the winner.

The Texas Democratic Party shared the unofficial recount results of the primary for House District 28. Those showed incumbent Cuellar coming out 289 votes ahead of his challenger Jessica Cisneros. The party stated Cuellar picked up six votes during the recount process.

Cisneros conceded Tuesday afternoon, writing on social media — “The results of the #TX28 runoff are not what we had fought for. I am so grateful for the leap of faith so many of you took on this underdog race. I look forward to keep fighting for a more progressive and accountable Democratic Party and work to turn Texas blue in November.

Chairman Gilberto Hinojosa released a statement congratulating Cuellar on the primary victory and praising Cisneros on her campaign.

“After a hard-fought primary battle, the voters of South Texas have spoken and they have decided that Henry Cuellar will again represent them in Washington, continuing his work to lead the Borderland and stand up for hard-working middle-class families from Laredo to San Antonio,” Hinojosa said. “We’re grateful to Jessica Cisneros for the positive campaign she ran — shining a light on the issues that are really impacting South Texas. We all know she will continue to fight for South Texans as we rally together behind our nominee, Henry Cuellar.”

The Texas Democratic Party shared this chart showing the unofficial recount results of the House District 28 primary.

The recount happened after a formal request from Cisneros, a 29-year-old immigration attorney who attempted to unseat the nine-term congressman for the second time.

Cuellar previously stated he believed his lead in the vote count would hold in Texas’ 28th Congressional District, which is heavily Hispanic and runs to the southern border with Mexico. His views on issues like abortion and gun rights do not sync with most in his party, but he maintained the support of Democratic leaders in Congress, including House Speaker Nancy Pelosi.

Cuellar will now face Republican candidate Cassy Garcia after she won her primary runoff against Sandra Whitten in May.