Texas Democratic Party considers sanctioning Henry Cuellar over federal indictment, votes breaking with party

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The Texas Democratic Party will consider a resolution this month to condemn Rep. Henry Cuellar, D-Laredo, for voting against the interests of the Democratic Party, his impending federal corruption trial and other actions that “disregard the values,” of the party.

The party sanction, if passed, would revoke resources from Cuellar and his campaigns. The State Democratic Executive Committee would also ban Cuellar from party events — except public events he cannot be legally barred from — and encourage affiliates to deny requests by Cuellar to attend events.

“Congressman Henry Cuellar has a proven track record of disregarding the values of the Texas Democratic Party and the ethos that comes with being a Texas Democrat and often acting against the peace and dignity of the State of Texas,” the resolution reads.

Cuellar has broken from his party on multiple votes this year — including supporting the SAVE Act, a bill restricting transgender athletes and the Laken Riley Act, which requires the government to detain undocumented immigrants accused of minor crimes. In past sessions, Cuellar voted against the union-endorsed PRO Act and a bill to codify abortion access.

These votes were included as reasons in the proposed resolution to condemn Cuellar along with his “A” rating from the National Rifle Association, never hosting an in-person town hall, and his federal corruption charges.

“Congressman Cuellar is committed to ensuring South Texans have a strong voice in Washington,” a spokesperson for Cuellar’s office said in a statement. “He will continue his bipartisan approach, working across party lines in Congress to deliver practical solutions for the communities he represents.”

The measure amounts to one of the first official admonishments of his behavior by Democrats since he was indicted a year ago, and comes amid a major leadership change by the Texas Democratic Party. This comes after a new Texas Democratic Party Chair, Kendall Scudder, was elected at the end of March.

The congressman is awaiting a September trial for charges of bribery, money laundering and working on behalf of the Azebaijani government and a Mexican Bank. The indictment alleges that Cuellar and his wife accepted nearly $600,000 in bribes from 2014 through 2021.

Cuellar has maintained his innocence.

The party resolution also accuses Cuellar of contradicting the values of the state Democratic Party platform “in spite of representing a safe Democratic seat.”

Despite his legal issues, Cuellar won reelection in 2024 by more than five percentage points. Cuellar also out-performed Democratic nominee Kamala Harris in his district, which President Donald Trump won by 7 points.

The National Republican Congressional Committee listed Cuellar’s district as one of their target districts in the 2026 midterms.

On Capitol Hill on Tuesday, Democratic Caucus Chair Rep. Pete Aguilar, D-California, called Cuellar a “great member of the Democratic caucus,” when questioned about the state party’s upcoming vote.

“I'll let Texas Democrats do what they need to do, I’m not a voter in that election, but Henry's contributions are vast and many within this caucus,” Aguilar said.

Few Democrats in Congress have called for Cuellar to resign or criticized the congressman following the federal indictment.

The party’s resolution committee voted Monday, with one disapproving vote, to move forward with the vote to condemn. The executive committee is expected to take up the resolution on May 12.

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