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U.S. Rep. Henry Cuellar secured an 11th term representing his South Texas congressional district early Wednesday despite a federal indictment accusing him of a litany of corruption allegations.
Cuellar defeated Republican Jay Furman, a political newcomer, according to The Associated Press.
Cuellar is one of Texas’ longest serving Democrats in Congress, and has served the 28th Congressional District since 2005. He and his family are synonymous with political power in Laredo, whose airport has a terminal that bears his name. One of the most conservative members of the Democratic caucus, he often breaks from his party and sides with Republicans. He is known for close friendships with Republicans and is the last pro-life Democrat in Congress.
Cuellar faces a criminal trial after the Justice Department indicted him on a series of charges alleging bribery, money laundering and working on behalf of the Azerbaijani government and a Mexican bank. The charges spanned years of Cuellar’s service in government. The specter of that upcoming trial cast a pall over his reelection campaign.
Cuellar denied any wrongdoing and expressed confidence immediately after the indictment went public that he would still be reelected.
“These allegations have been difficult on my family. But, with your prayers, we will overcome,” Cuellar said in a statement at the time. “Let me be clear, I’m running for re-election and will win this November.”
Republicans were not planning on putting up a serious fight in the Laredo-based district. After a crushing, 13-point defeat in 2022 with millions of dollars invested, Republicans decided to focus their attention elsewhere. Their primary offensive opportunity in Texas this cycle was in the 34th Congressional District against Democratic U.S. Rep. Vicente Gonzalez.
Furman secured the Republican nomination in a May runoff election. Shortly after, the National Republican Congressional Committee announced it was once again making the district a target. Furman has no formal political experience. He previously served in the Navy in Sub-Saharan Africa and launched his campaign as a grassroots, far-right effort.
But there was no repeat of the investment of 2022 when they recruited, trained and spent heavily on their candidate, Cassy Garcia.
This year, the NRCC and the Congressional Leadership Fund never announced major ad buys in Laredo, the district’s population center, despite spending over $8 million in 2022. Furman failed to raise a competitive sum of money, relying heavily on personal loans. Furman raised a mere $323,000 this cycle as of mid-October, including over $181,000 in debts. Cuellar had raised over $2.3 million with no loans.
Cuellar’s pending criminal trial was pushed in June until after the election, sparing him from a highly visible legal drama. He also did not face the same backlash from his peers as other indicted lawmakers such as U.S. Rep. George Santos of New York or Sen. Bob Menendez of New Jersey. House Democratic leaders maintained their endorsements of him.
Still, the legal fees pulled on his campaign funds, and he was barred from traveling beyond South and West Texas except to go to Washington for congressional work.
Cuellar fended off a competitive primary challenge by immigration attorney Jessica Cisneros in 2020 and 2022. In 2022, Cisneros lost by less than a percentage point. Cuellar was particularly vulnerable that year after the FBI searched his house in a highly public raid. The raid was later revealed to be in connection with this year’s indictment.
His 2022 Republican challenge from Garcia was part of a larger Republican foray into the traditional Democratic stronghold of South Texas. Republicans spent millions in the neighboring 15th and 34th districts, securing a victory in the McAllen-based 15th district with U.S. Rep. Monica De La Cruz.
Republicans were not as well funded as Democrats this year, compelling them to be choosier in their investments. The NRCC dedicated the lionshare of its resources in the 34th district, where former U.S. Rep. Mayra Flores challenged Gonzalez.
Furman entered the race before Cuellar’s indictment and his political inexperience and hard-right platform made him an unconventional pick for Republicans. Furman said shortly after launching his campaign that he picked the 28th district “to provide a national platform to promote President Trump because he is going to be the one and singular person who can save us from this moment.”
Furman had secured the endorsements of several former Trump administration officials and far-right members of Congress, including U.S. Reps. Byron Donalds of Florida, Chip Roy of Austin and Lauren Boebert of Colorado.
Voting FAQ: 2024 Elections
When is the next election? What dates do I need to know?
Election Day for the general election is November 5, and early voting will run from Oct. 21 to Nov. 1. The deadline to register to vote and/or change your voter registration address is Oct. 7. Applications to vote by mail must be received by your county of residence – not postmarked – by Oct. 25.
What’s on the ballot for the general election?
In addition to the president, eligible Texans have the opportunity to cast their ballots for many Texas officials running for office at the federal, state and local levels.
This includes representatives in the U.S. and Texas houses and the following elected offices:
-1 U.S Senator (Ted Cruz)
– 1 of 3 Railroad Commissioners
– 15 State Senators
– 7 State Board of Education members
– 3 members of the Texas Supreme Court
– 3 members of the Texas Court of Criminal Appeals
– 5 Chief Justices and various justices for Texas Courts of Appeals
Lower-level judges and local county offices will also appear on the ballot:
– Various district judges, including on criminal and family courts
– County Courts at Law
– Justices of the Peace
– District Attorneys
– County Attorneys
– Sheriffs
– Constables
– Tax Assessor-Collectors
How do I make sure I’m registered to vote?
You can check to see if you’re registered and verify your information through the Texas Secretary of State’s website. You’ll need one of the following three combinations to log in: Your Texas driver’s license number and date of birth. Your first and last names, date of birth and county you reside in. Your date of birth and Voter Unique Identifier, which appears on your voter registration certificate.
What if I missed the voter registration deadline?
You must be registered to vote in a Texas county by Oct. 7 to vote in the Nov. 5 presidential election. You can still register for other elections.
If you’re registered but didn’t update your address by the deadline, you may still be able to vote at your previous voting location or on a limited ballot. (Voters are typically assigned precincts based on where they live. In most major counties, voters can vote anywhere on Election Day, but some counties require you vote within your precinct. If that is the case, you may have to return to your previous precinct. See which counties allow countywide Election Day voting here. You can usually find your precinct listed on your voter registration certificate or on when checking your registration online.)
If you moved from one county to another, you may be able to vote on a ballot limited to the elections you would qualify to vote in at both locations, such as statewide races. However, limited ballots are only available during early voting. Find your county election official here and contact them to ask about or request a limited ballot.
What can I do if I have questions about voting?
You can contact your county elections official or call the Texas Secretary of State’s helpline at 1-800-252-VOTE (8683). A coalition of voting rights groups is also helping voters navigate election concerns through the 866-OUR-VOTE (687-8683) voter-protection helpline. The coalition also has hotlines available for voters who speaker other languages or have accessibility needs.
For help in Spanish, call 888-VE-Y-VOTA or 888-839-8682.
For help in Asian languages, call 888-API-VOTE or 888-274-8683.
For help in Arabic, call 888-YALLA-US or 888-925-5287.
For help in American Sign Language through a video, call 301-818-VOTE or 301-818-8683.
For help from Disability Rights Texas, call 888-796-VOTE or 888-796-8683.
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