The Winner

If you live in Texas’ 28th Congressional District, Rep. Henry Cuellar (D-TX) will keep representing you after winning a 12th term by about 36 points. Republicans had redrawn the district to favor their party, and Cuellar won it by about 6 points in 2024 under the old lines. The Associated Press called the race for Cuellar at 12:31 a.m. Wednesday, Nov. 4. ​

Cuellar had 65.8% of the vote, or 113,315 votes, to 29.6%, or 51,065 votes, for Republican Tano Tijerina, a margin of 62,250 votes, in unofficial results from the Texas Secretary of State. Green Party candidate Marlon Duran took 4.6%, or 7,932 votes.

The Race

Tijerina has been Webb County judge since 2015 and is a former Democrat. He won the March 3 Republican primary with 74.4% of the vote and had President Donald Trump’s endorsement. Cuellar won his primary with 58.1%, after Trump pardoned him in a federal bribery case.

Texas’ 2025 redraw gave the district more voters who backed Trump, and Trump would have carried the new lines by about 10 points in 2024. Instead, Republicans lost four of the five seats the new map was designed to flip. The Cook Political Report and Sabato’s Crystal Ball rated the race Lean Democratic, and Inside Elections rated it Tilt Democratic.

The district runs from Laredo and the border counties of Webb and Zapata north to San Antonio, where it takes in parts of the south and northeast sides, along with parts of Guadalupe, Wilson and Karnes counties. The new lines also added part of Hidalgo County, including part of McAllen.

About 789,700 people live in the district, and 75% of residents are Hispanic. The median household income is about $65,700, the median age is 33.7, and 21.2% of adults hold a bachelor’s degree or higher. Unemployment is 6.1%, and 19.2% of residents live below the poverty line.

What’s Next

Cuellar’s new term begins Sunday, Jan. 3, in a House that Democrats won control of in the midterms. After his win, he said he would focus on lowering the cost of living, water, transportation, the farm bill and support for small businesses in Laredo, according to KGNS.

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