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Congressman Henry Cuellar, a Democrat, appears on track to win reelection in Texas’ 28th Congressional District, overcoming a Republican-backed challenge from Webb County Judge Tano Tijerina and a campaign that sought to capitalize on Cuellar’s legal controversy and the district’s increasingly Republican voting trends.
The Democratic incumbent leads Republican challenger Tano Tijerina with 65.4% of the vote to 29.4%, with more than 73,000 votes counted. Results remain unofficial as ballots continue to be tallied.
The victory would extend Cuellar’s congressional career, which began in 2005, and would reinforce his standing as one of South Texas’ most established political figures. The Laredo Democrat has represented the district for more than two decades, building a reputation for securing federal funding for local projects and maintaining relationships across party lines.
Cuellar's reelection would come despite a campaign that has put his legal controversy and political future under renewed scrutiny. Cuellar was indicted on bribery and money-laundering charges in 2024, allegations he denied. President Donald Trump pardoned Cuellar in December 2025.
Republicans nevertheless argued that voters should replace the longtime congressman, contending that the district needed new leadership and that Cuellar had become too entrenched in Washington.
Tijerina, a former Democrat who switched to the Republican Party in 2024, built his congressional campaign around border security, public safety, affordability and a promise to put South Texas ahead of Washington politics. A former three-term Webb County judge, he presented his local government experience as an alternative to Cuellar’s long tenure in Congress.
Tijerina’s campaign also questioned Cuellar’s record on local infrastructure, arguing that Webb County continued to face substantial needs despite the congressman’s seniority and influence in Washington.
The Republican challenger attracted support from national party leaders seeking to turn the redrawn district into a GOP seat. House Speaker Mike Johnson campaigned with Tijerina, underscoring the national party’s interest in South Texas as Republicans sought to maintain control of the U.S. House.
Republican spending on the race was substantial. The Congressional Leadership Fund, a major Republican super PAC, spent millions of dollars on the contest, according to reports on advertising activity. The group later pulled $3 million it had reserved for future advertising in the district and redirected the money to other South Texas congressional races.
The spending shift suggested Republicans were facing a more difficult contest than anticipated, despite redrawing the district’s boundaries to improve their chances.
The new district favored President Trump by approximately 10 percentage points in 2024. The changes were part of a broader Republican redistricting effort intended to help the party gain additional congressional seats.
But Cuellar had already demonstrated an ability to attract voters beyond his own party. In 2024, he won reelection even as Trump carried the district. An August 2026 Texas Southern University poll also showed Cuellar leading Tijerina, indicating the incumbent remained competitive despite the district’s Republican lean.
Cuellar’s campaign emphasized his experience, bipartisan relationships and record of bringing federal resources to South Texas. His priorities included funding for law enforcement, public schools, health clinics, water infrastructure, international bridges, and economic development.
A senior member of the House Appropriations Committee and ranking member of its Homeland Security Subcommittee, Cuellar has used his position to pursue federal investments for communities throughout the district. His political career also includes service in the Texas Legislature and as Texas secretary of state.
Born in Laredo to migrant farmworkers, Cuellar has long presented himself as a representative focused on local needs rather than strict party loyalty.
The contest placed two familiar South Texas political figures against each other in a district where Hispanic voters make up the overwhelming majority of the eligible electorate and where party loyalties have shifted in recent elections.
Cuellar’s likely victory would demonstrate that, even in a district increasingly favorable to Republicans, his personal political following, established relationships and record of pursuing federal funding remain significant advantages.
For national Republicans, his win would be a setback in a district they hoped to flip. For Cuellar, reelection will offer another term in Washington amid continuing debates over immigration, federal spending, affordability and the direction of the Democratic Party.
