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October 4th , 2025 Len’s Political Note #756 Henry Cuellar Texas 28
2026 General Election
Jennifer Cisneros ran against the incumbent Democrat Henry Cisneros in two primaries. She opposed him because of his anti-abortion position. As usual, I did not write a Political Note in support of either candidate in a Democratic Primary contest. I did not urge readers to donate to either of their campaigns. But I contributed to her campaign. The district seemed safely Democratic enough to take that risk. In 2024, when Henry Cisneros had no primary opposition, I urged readers to donate to his campaign. See Len’s political Note #651
Part of what makes Henry Cisneros able to contest Maine’s Jared Golden as the most conservative Democrat in Congress is his opposition to abortion. It might even be fair to suggest Henry Cisneros is uncaring about issues that affect women. In 2018, he was accused of firing a pregnant staffer after she requested a parental leave. Subsequently there were claims he urged other staffers to discredit her. She may have blamed her miscarriage on that bad treatment. Henry Cuellar also pays his staff poorly, the lowest in Congress in 2024. It would not be out of the question to also consider this a women’s issue.
Otherwise, Henry Cuellar has been a more conventional conservative Democrat. For instance, he was among the nine Democrats who demanded that Joe Biden’s infrastructure bill be separated from the rest of the President’s Build Back Better proposals.
Henry Cuellar was a diligent student. After collecting an AA from Laredo’s community college, a BA from Georgetown’s school of foreign service, an MA from Texas A & M’s International University, and a JD from the University of Texas, Henry Cuellar was elected as a Texas state rep at age 32. He was 43 when he got his PhD from the University of Texas. Whether it was his studiousness or a desire by the Republican governor to earn favor with Democrats, in 2001, Republican Governor Rick Perry appointed this 45 year-old Democratic State Rep to fill a vacancy as Secretary of State. Henry Cuellar was the most recent Democrat to hold sstate-wide office in Texas.
In 2002, Henry Cuellar ran for Congress and lost to the incumbent Republican Henry Bonilla by 5 points. He ran again in 2024 in a redistricted TX 28 that included his home town of Laredo. He defeated the incumbent Democrat in a primary by 58 votes and the Republican by a wide margin in the general election. After that, he sometimes had neither primary nor general election opposition. When he had opposition, he won primaries and general elections handily.
In 2020, though, the Justice Democrats, and Jennifer Cisneros changed the dynamics. Henry Cuellar defeated Jennifer Cisneros 52 to 48 in the primary, then won the general election with more than 58% of the vote. Jennifer Cisneros ran again in 2022. Henry Cuellar received 48% of the vote to her 47%. Because the winner did not get a majority of the vote, according to Texas rules, there was a primary run off. The run off was so close it was reminiscent of his 58 vote win in 2004. Henry Cuellar won the 2022 primary by 289 votes.
By 2024, the world had changed. There were signs that Hispanic voters were moving toward Donald Trump and toward down ballot Republicans. Henry Cuellar had been indicted on money laundering, conspiracy, and bribery charges. Head of the Congressional Azerbaijan caucus, a country with a fossil fuel economy that bore some resemblance to Texas, it was the connection to Azerbaijan that got him in trouble. The indictment charges that he and his wife received funds from Azerbaijan by way of a Mexican bank.
To retain Texas 28 as Democratic and to help Henry Cuellar, Democrats brought out leading figures from the older generation including Nancy Pelosi, Steny Hoyer, and Jim Clyburn to endorse him. They brought out a younger generation. The new Democratic leaders endorsed him too – Hakeem Jeffries, Katherine Clark, and Pete Aguilar.
In 2024, Henry Cuellar retained his seat by a 53 – 47 margin, by 13,373 votes even though Donald Trump carried the district. The Democratic leadership who wanted his victory were looking for a Democratic vote for speaker. They were also supporting a Congressman who had some good reasons to be a Democrat.
Henry Cuellar voted for the Affordable Care Act. Though he would have supported fewer environmental regulations in Joe Biden’s infrastructure (and climate-related) bill, he supported that bill and the earlier “cap and trade” environmental bill. He supported same sex marriage and other issues associated with LGBT+ rights. He is an advocate of public transportation and a particular advocate for a train line from San Antonio to Monterrey, Mexico. And finally, he has been a supporter of the United States helping to finance and equip Ukraine in its fight with Russia.
When considering the liabilities of a Democratic candidate, we need to consider the alternative. While we do not know who Henry Cuellar will face in 2026, we do know who his Republican opponent was in 2024. Consider Jay Furman as a stand in for the kind of person likely to be Henry Cuellar’s 2026 opponent. The website suggests that he is running again. Retired from the Navy, he returned home to Texas and picked out Texas 28 as a good place to run for Congress.
In his campaign website Furman says he was “one of the first whistleblowers to stand up to the tyranny of forced COVID vaccinations in the military.” He promised to “reverse Biden’s invasion of our southern border, deport criminal illegal aliens, restore law and order, rebuild the economy, and hold Washington accountable to the will of the American people.”
Furman’s top issue was to “drain the swamp” in Washington; He promised to cut governmental waste, hold miscreant politicians accountable, and to finish the job DOGE had started. He complained that the Biden presidency had destroyed the economy by allowing inflation to get out of control. He would ensure energy independence. He would reverse the “invasion” through his commitment to “Mass Deportation” and “crush the cartels.” An opponent of what he calls “woke insanity,” we can be confident that Jay Furman is as opposed to abortion as Henry Cuellar and less welcoming to the LGBTQ community.
I urge you to keep someon like Jay Furma out of Congress. Support Henry Cuellar. DONATE to his campaign.
Other Candidates for the House in Texas, New Mexico, and Nevada.
AZ 06. Former Marine Drill Instructor JoAnna Mendoza v Inc Republican Juan Ciscomani. The child of farm workers, she joined the Navy at 17 and then the Marines. She returned home with her son Aidan after being deployed to Iraq and Afghanistan. The incumbent is a graduate of Arizona State and a former advisor to the Governor. DONATE to JoAnna Mendoza’s campaign.
NV 03 Inc Democrat Susie Lee v one of three possibilities. A high school and college swimmer trained in water issues, she moved from her work in New England to Las Vegas for a job with the mayor. She married a casino owner, became a philanthropist and a politician. Seen as vulnerable, three Republicans are running to oppose her. DONATE to Susie Lee’s campaign.
NM 02 Gabe Vasquez is running for his third term in Congress. He has a slightly more favorable district than he originally had. He also has a more prosperous district due to renewed interest in fossil fuels. He has focused on ensuring workers get their share of the benefits from this industry while containing he history of being a blue collar conservationist. At the moment, there is only one Republican running, CEO of a radio station and host of a talk show on the station. DONATE to Gabe Vasquez’ campaign. See Len’s Political Note #755.
TX 15. Tejano musician Bobby Pulido v Inc Republican Monica De La Cruz. The Texas Tribune says that Bobby Pulido is the only Democrat who can win the seat. The child of musicians, his popularity waned as the popularity of Tejano music waned. He earned awards as an actor, continued singing, and conducted a farewell tour before announcing his candidacy for Congress. The incumbent was an insurance agent elected in 2022 after Vicente Gonzales, to whom she lost in 2020, moved to TX 34. DONATE to the Bobby Pulido campaign.
TX 34. Incumbent Democrat Vicente Gonzalez. v ex US Rep Maya Flores or one of her two primary opponents. Vicente Gonzales left high school without graduating, but found his way on his own earning an Associates degree, a BS, and a law degree. After practicing law, he was elected to congress in 2016 as a business-oriented Democrat. He still is. He moved to the more Democratic TX 34 and defeated incumbent Maya Flores who had been elected in a special election. He defeated her again in 2024. She has denied being a follower of QAnon, but is certainly on the far right of the Republican party, DONATE to the Vicente Gonzales campaign. See Len’s Political Note #720
