Progressive immigration attorney Jessica Cisneros says she will request a recount in the Democratic primary runoff against centrist incumbent Henry Cuellar for Texas’ Congressional District 28.
The Texas Democratic Party finished canvassing the race on Monday, one of the most-closely watched in the country, with Cuellar in the lead by 281 votes.
Cisneros, who has the backing of Bernie Sanders, Alexandria Ocasio Cortez and Elizabeth Warren, said in a statement, “With just under 0.6 percent of the vote symbolizing such stark differences for the future of South Texas, I owe it to our community to see this through to the end.”
Nine-time incumbent Cuellar responded in a public statement, “As Democrats, it is now time to come together. She has no path to victory and will not gain 281 votes. I welcome this process as it will only further verify our victory.”
Cuellar, one of the most conservative Democrats in the House, is backed by the Democratic House leadership. He declared victory two weeks ago on the night of the election with a lead of 177 votes, as mail-in ballots continued to come in.
Any runoff candidate in Texas can request a recount on margins below 10 percent.
