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Texas' 28th Congressional District election, 2022 (May 24 Democratic primary runoff)

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Texas' 28th Congressional District
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Democratic primary
Democratic primary runoff
Republican primary
Republican primary runoff
General election
Election details
Filing deadline: December 13, 2021
Primary: March 1, 2022
Primary runoff: May 24, 2022
General: November 8, 2022
How to vote
Poll times: 7 a.m. to 7 p.m.
Voting in Texas
Race ratings
Cook Partisan Voter Index (2022): D+3
Cook Political Report: Toss-up
Inside Elections: Lean Democratic
Sabato's Crystal Ball: Lean Democratic
Ballotpedia analysis
U.S. Senate battlegrounds
U.S. House battlegrounds
Federal and state primary competitiveness
Ballotpedia's Election Analysis Hub, 2022
See also
Texas' 28th Congressional District
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Texas elections, 2022
U.S. Congress elections, 2022
U.S. Senate elections, 2022
U.S. House elections, 2022

Incumbent Henry Cuellar defeated Jessica Cisneros in the May 24 runoff in the Democratic primary for Texas' 28th Congressional District.

On June 21, 2022, Cuellar was declared the winner of a recount.[1] Jessica Cisneros lost by 289 votes in the official recount.

Based on unofficial returns, Cuellar led with 50.2% of the vote. Under state law, candidates may request a recount if the margin of victory is less than 10%. Cisneros requested a recount and the Democratic Party of Texas approved the recount request.[2][3] To learn more about how recounts work in Texas, click here.

This year's runoff was a rematch of the 2020 primary, which Cuellar won outright, defeating Cisneros 51.8% to 48.2%.[4] In the March 1 primary, Cuellar received 48.4% of the vote, followed by Cisneros with 46.9% and Tannya Benavides with 4.7%.

The candidates disagreed on abortion policy. This race occurred alongside several events related to abortion policy, including the passage of Texas Senate Bill 8, a vote in the U.S. House to legalize abortion nationally, and the leak of a draft opinion for a case related to abortion pending before the Supreme Court of the United States, that disagreement intensified. To read more about the issue of abortion in this race, click here.

Cuellar, in Congress since 2005, was a member of the Blue Dog Coalition at the time of the primary election. He was the only House Democrat to vote against a bill in 2021 that would have codified the right to abortion in federal law.[5] Cuellar's campaign said his membership on the House Appropriations Committee helped fund education, healthcare, small businesses, veterans, and immigration services programs in the district.

At the time of the primary election, Cisneros was an immigration attorney and supported Medicare For All, legal access to abortion, a pathway to citizenship for immigrants, and the For The People Act.[4] Cisneros criticized Cuellar for his abortion stance, his votes on federal immigration proposals, and his response to the coronavirus pandemic, citing the latter as a key reason she ran again.[6]

Speaker Nancy Pelosi, House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer, House Majority Whip Jim Clyburn, and the Congressional Hispanic Caucus endorsed Cuellar. Sens. Edward Markey, Bernie Sanders, and Elizabeth Warren, Reps. Jamaal Bowman, Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, and Ayanna Pressley, and Justice Democrats endorsed Cisneros. The San Antonio Express-News Editorial Board, which backed Cuellar in the 2020 primary, endorsed Cisneros in the 2022 primary.[7]

The National Republican Congressional Committee announced Texas' 28th Congressional District was one of five target districts in the state in February 2021.[8] As of February 2022, the three independent race forecasters considered the general as Solid or Likely Democratic.


This page focuses on Texas' 28th Congressional District Democratic primary runoff. For more in-depth information on the district's Democratic primary, Republican primary runoff, Republican primary, and the general election, see the following pages:

Election recount

Under state law, candidates may request a recount if the margin of victory is less than 10%. Cisneros requested a recount and the Democratic Party of Texas approved the recount request.[2][3] Before the recount, Cuellar led Cisneros by 187 votes.[9] The recount confirmed Cuellar's victory by a margin of 289 votes.[1]

Recount timeline

Click below to view a timeline of the recount, including lawsuits, rulings, and vote totals.

  • June 21, 2022: Cuellar was declared the winner of the recount.[1]
  • June 6, 2022: Cisneros requested a recount.[2]

Election news

Click below to view a timeline leading up to the election, including polling, debates, and other noteworthy events.

Candidates and election results

Democratic primary runoff election

Democratic primary runoff for U.S. House Texas District 28

Incumbent Henry Cuellar defeated Jessica Cisneros in the Democratic primary runoff for U.S. House Texas District 28 on May 24, 2022.

Candidate
%
Votes
✔
Image of Henry Cuellar
Henry Cuellar
 
50.3
 
22,895
Image of Jessica Cisneros
Jessica Cisneros
 
49.7
 
22,614

Incumbents are bolded and underlined. The results have been certified. Source

Total votes: 45,509
Candidate Connection = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey.

Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team.

Candidate comparison

Candidate profiles

This section includes candidate profiles that may be created in one of two ways: either the candidate completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey, or Ballotpedia staff may compile a profile based on campaign websites, advertisements, and public statements after identifying the candidate as noteworthy. For more on how we select candidates to include, click here.

Henry Cuellar

Image of Henry Cuellar

WebsiteFacebookTwitterYouTube

Party: Democratic Party

Incumbent: Yes

Political Office: 

  • U.S. House Texas District 28 (Assumed office: 2005)
  • Texas Secretary of State (2001)
  • Texas House of Representatives (1987-2001)

Biography:  Cuellar received his associate degree from Laredo Community College, his bachelor's from Georgetown University, his J.D. from the University of Texas, his master's from Texas A&M, and his Ph.D. from the University of Texas. Cuellar worked as a lawyer in private practice.


Key Messages

The following key messages were curated by Ballotpedia staff. For more on how we identify key messages, click here.

Cuellar highlighted his membership on the House Appropriations Committee and said he used that position to secure funding for education, healthcare services, and small businesses in the district.

Cuellar's video announcing his re-election campaign said he had built relationships with members of both parties and would deliver results regardless of the party in power.

Cuellar's campaign website highlighted green energy and called it "the future of job growth in South Texas."

Show sources

Sources: Henry Cuellar's 2022 campaign website, "Media," accessed January 18, 2022 ; YouTube, "Henry Cuellar - Biography," accessed January 18, 2022; Biographical Directory of the United States Congress, "Henry Cuellar," accessed January 18, 2022

This information was current as of the candidate's run for U.S. House Texas District 28 in 2022.

Jessica Cisneros

Image of Jessica Cisneros

WebsiteFacebookTwitter

Party: Democratic Party

Incumbent: No

Political Office: None

Biography:  Cisneros received a bachelor's from the University of Texas at Austin in 2015 and a master's from the University of Texas at Austin School of Law in 2018. Cisneros worked as an attorney, an immigrant rights advocate, and a clerk.


Key Messages

The following key messages were curated by Ballotpedia staff. For more on how we identify key messages, click here.

On her campaign website, Cisneros said she supported single-payer Medicare For All and that women should have access to comprehensive family planning services and contraception.

Cisneros highlighted her work as an immigration attorney. She said she supported a pathway to citizenship and criticized Cuellar for voting to extend the amount of time immigrant children could be detained.

Cisneros said she supported the For The People Act, which would establish new rules for the administration of federal-level elections and amend existing campaign finance requirements.

Show sources

Sources: Jessica Cisneros' 2022 campaign website, "Issues," accessed January 18, 2022; Information submitted to Ballotpedia through the Candidate Connection survey on February 18, 2020.

This information was current as of the candidate's run for U.S. House Texas District 28 in 2022.

Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey responses

Ballotpedia asks all federal, state, and local candidates to complete a survey and share what motivates them on political and personal levels. Candidates are asked three required questions for this survey, but they may answer additional optional questions as well.

No candidate in this race completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey.


Campaign advertisements

This section includes a selection of up to three campaign advertisements per candidate released in this race, as well as links to candidates' YouTube, Vimeo, and/or Facebook video pages. If you are aware of other links that should be included, please email us.

Democratic Party Jessica Cisneros

August 5, 2021

View more ads here:


Democratic Party Henry Cuellar

February 12, 2022
January 21, 2022
January 17, 2022

View more ads here:

Satellite ads

This section includes a selection of campaign advertisements released by satellite groups. If you are aware of other satellite ads that should be included, please email us.

Mainstream Democrats

Mainstream Democrats released an ad in support of Cuellar in May 2022. To view that ad, click here.

Women Vote Project

Women Vote Project, with support from both NARAL Pro-Choice America and EMILY's List, released ads in support of Cisneros.[31][32] Those ads are embedded below:

May 13, 2022
April 29, 2022
United Democracy Project

The United Democracy Project, a super PAC affiliated with the American Israel Public Affairs Committee, purchased ads in opposition to Cisneros.[33] One of those ads is embedded below.

Debates and forums

This section includes links to debates, forums, and other similar events where multiple candidates in this race participated. If you are aware of any debates or forums that should be included, please email us.

News and conflicts in this primary

This race was featured in The Heart of the Primaries, a newsletter capturing stories related to conflicts within each major party. Click here to read more about conflict in this and other 2022 Democratic U.S. House primaries. Click here to subscribe to the newsletter.

Noteworthy endorsements

See also: Ballotpedia: Our approach to covering endorsements

This section lists noteworthy endorsements issued in this election, including those made by high-profile individuals and organizations, cross-party endorsements, and endorsements made by newspaper editorial boards. It also includes a bulleted list of links to official lists of endorsements for any candidates who published that information on their campaign websites. Please note that this list is not exhaustive. If you are aware of endorsements that should be included, please click here.


Democratic primary runoff endorsements
Endorser Democratic Party Henry Cuellar Democratic Party Jessica Cisneros
Government officials
U.S. Sen. Edward J. Markey (D)  source   ✔
U.S. Sen. Bernie Sanders  source   ✔
U.S. Rep. James Clyburn (D)  source ✔  
U.S. Rep. Vicente Gonzalez Jr. (D)  source ✔  
U.S. Rep. Steny Hoyer (D)  source ✔  
U.S. Rep. Pramila Jayapal (D)  source   ✔
U.S. Rep. Hakeem Jeffries (D)  source ✔  
U.S. Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D)  source   ✔
U.S. Rep. Nancy Pelosi (D)  source ✔  
U.S. Rep. Katie Porter (D)  source   ✔
U.S. Rep. Ayanna Pressley (D)  source   ✔
U.S. Rep. Filemon Vela (D)  source ✔  
Individuals
Frmr. candidate Tannya Benavides  source   ✔
Newspapers and editorials
San Antonio Express-News Editorial Board  source   ✔
Organizations
Brand New Congress  source   ✔
CHC Bold PAC  source ✔  
Daily Kos  source   ✔
Democracy for America  source   ✔
End Citizens United  source   ✔
Green New Deal Network  source   ✔
Indivisible Action  source   ✔
J Street  source   ✔
Latino Victory Fund  source   ✔
League of Conservation Voters Action Fund  source   ✔
Mijente PAC  source   ✔
MoveOn  source   ✔
Patriotic Millionaires  source   ✔
Progressive Change Campaign Committee  source   ✔
Progressive Democrats of America  source   ✔
Progressive Turnout Project  source   ✔
Pro-Israel America PAC  source ✔  
SEIU Texas  source   ✔
Sunrise Movement  source   ✔
Texas AFL-CIO  source   ✔
Texas College Democrats  source   ✔
Texas Farm Bureau (AGFUND)  source ✔  
Truth To Power  source   ✔
United Farm Workers  source   ✔
U.S. Chamber of Commerce  source ✔  
Way to Lead  source   ✔
Working Families Party  source   ✔

Election competitiveness

Polls

See also: Ballotpedia's approach to covering polls

We provide results for polls that are included in polling aggregation from FiveThirtyEight and RealClearPolitics, when available. No polls were available for this election. To notify us of polls published in this election, please email us.


General election race ratings

See also: Race rating definitions and methods

Ballotpedia provides race ratings from four outlets: The Cook Political Report, Inside Elections, Sabato's Crystal Ball, and DDHQ/The Hill. Each race rating indicates if one party is perceived to have an advantage in the race and, if so, the degree of advantage:

  • Safe and Solid ratings indicate that one party has a clear edge and the race is not competitive.
  • Likely ratings indicate that one party has a clear edge, but an upset is possible.
  • Lean ratings indicate that one party has a small edge, but the race is competitive.[34]
  • Toss-up ratings indicate that neither party has an advantage.

Race ratings are informed by a number of factors, including polling, candidate quality, and election result history in the race's district or state.[35][36][37]

Race ratings: Texas' 28th Congressional District election, 2022
Race trackerRace ratings
November 8, 2022November 1, 2022October 25, 2022October 18, 2022
The Cook Political Report with Amy WalterToss-upLean DemocraticLean DemocraticLean Democratic
Inside Elections with Nathan L. GonzalesLean DemocraticLean DemocraticLean DemocraticLean Democratic
Larry J. Sabato's Crystal BallLean DemocraticToss-upToss-upToss-up
Note: Ballotpedia reviews external race ratings every week throughout the election season and posts weekly updates even if the media outlets have not revised their ratings during that week.

Election spending

Campaign finance

This section contains campaign finance figures from the Federal Election Commission covering all candidate fundraising and spending in this election.[38] It does not include information on fundraising before the current campaign cycle or on spending by satellite groups. The numbers in this section are updated as candidates file new campaign finance reports. Candidates for Congress are required to file financial reports on a quarterly basis, as well as two weeks before any primary, runoff, or general election in which they will be on the ballot and upon the termination of any campaign committees.[39] Click here to view the reporting schedule for candidates for U.S. Congress in 2022.

U.S. Congress campaign reporting schedule, 2022
Report Close of books Filing deadline
Year-end 2021 12/31/2021 1/31/2022
April quarterly 3/31/2022 4/15/2022
July quarterly 6/30/2022 7/15/2022
October quarterly 9/30/2022 10/15/2022
Pre-general 10/19/2022 10/27/2022
Post-general 11/28/2022 12/08/2022
Year-end 2022 12/31/2022 1/31/2023


Name Party Receipts* Disbursements** Cash on hand Date
Henry Cuellar Democratic Party $4,714,812 $6,217,541 $47,744 As of December 31, 2022
Jessica Cisneros Democratic Party $6,625,534 $6,521,388 $107,115 As of December 31, 2022

Source: Federal Elections Commission, "Campaign finance data," 2022. This product uses the openFEC API but is not endorsed or certified by the Federal Election Commission (FEC).

* According to the FEC, "Receipts are anything of value (money, goods, services or property) received by a political committee."
** According to the FEC, a disbursement "is a purchase, payment, distribution, loan, advance, deposit or gift of money or anything of value to influence a federal election," plus other kinds of payments not made to influence a federal election.

Satellite spending

See also: Satellite spending

Satellite spending describes political spending not controlled by candidates or their campaigns; that is, any political expenditures made by groups or individuals that are not directly affiliated with a candidate. This includes spending by political party committees, super PACs, trade associations, and 501(c)(4) nonprofit groups.[40][41][42]

If available, links to satellite spending reports by the Federal Election Commission and OpenSecrets.org are linked below. Any satellite spending reported in other resources is displayed in a table. This table may not represent the actual total amount spent by satellite groups in the election. Satellite spending for which specific amounts, dates, or purposes are not reported are marked "N/A." To help us complete this information, or to notify us of additional satellite spending, email us.

By candidate By election
Satellite spending in Texas' 28th Congressional District Democratic primary runoff, 2022
Organization Amount Date Purpose
United Democracy Project$1,800,000May 18, 2022Ads opposing Cisneros[11]
Big River Media$5,263May 13, 2022Billboard opposing Cisneros[13]
EMILY's List$526,000May 13, 2022Ads supporting Cisneros[12]
Mainstream Democrats PAC$178,000May 11, 2022Mailers supporting Henry Cuellar[14]
Charter Schools Action Fund$26,000May 10, 2022Mailers supporting Henry Cuellar[43]
America United$241,000May 4, 2022Ads supporting Henry Cuellar[44]
Working Families Party$219,000April 11, 2022Canvassing for Jessica Cisneros[19]

Notable policy positions

Abortion

Cuellar and Cisneros have differing stances relating to the availability of abortions. Two issues on this topic, in particular, arose during the race:Cuellar's September 2021 vote in the House opposing a bill legalizing abortion and the leak of a draft opinion in Dobbs v. Jackson that circulated in May 2022. The candidates' responses to each of these events is included below.

Reaction to leaked Dobbs opinion draft

See also: Dobbs v. Jackson

On May 2, 2022, Politico reported it obtained a draft majority opinion written in February 2022. According to Politico, the draft was authored by Associate Justice Samuel Alito and would be signed by Justices Clarence Thomas, Neil Gorsuch, Brett Kavanaugh, and Amy Coney Barrett. The draft opinion would have overturned precedent in Roe v. Wade and Planned Parenthood v. Casey, allowing states to individually decide the legality of abortion.[45]

Cuellar criticized the draft opinion and called it divisive while reiterating his stance against abortion. He said:[46]

“ Let me be clear about the leaked opinion of the potential SCOTUS ruling, it is not based on precedent and is not incremental in nature. It will further divide the country during these already divisive times, but let us wait until the final ruling.


As a lifelong Catholic, I have always been pro-life. As a Catholic, I do not support abortion, however, we cannot have an outright ban. There must be exceptions in the case of rape, incest, and danger to the life of the mother.

My faith will not allow me to support a ruling that would criminalize teenage victims of rape and incest. That same faith will not allow me to support a ruling that would make a mother choose between her life and her child's.

Additionally, my faith does not allow me to support extreme positions such as late term or partial birth abortions.[47]

”


In response, Cisneros called on House leadership to pull their endorsements of Cuellar, citing his vote against the Women’s Health Protection Act. She said:[48]

“ As the Supreme Court prepares to overturn Roe v. Wade, I am calling on Democratic Party leadership to withdraw their support of Henry Cuellar who is the last anti-choice Democrat in the House. At every turn, my Congressman has stood in opposition to the Democratic Party agenda from being anti-union to being anti-choice. With the House majority on the line, he could very much be the deciding vote on the future of our reproductive rights and we cannot afford to take that risk. On May 24th, we will defeat the last anti-choice Democrat and South Texas will finally have a representative in their corner that will fight for their health care and freedom. I hope Democratic Party leadership won't stand in the way of delivering for South Texans. I am ready to work with them to deliver on the democratic agenda.[47] ”

Reaction to H.R.3755 vote

H.R.3755, titled the Women's Health Protection Act of 2021, passed the U.S. House by a 218-211 vote. Cuellar was the lone Democratic member to vote against the legislation. The legislation was a response to Texas Senate Bill 8, which restricted abortion procedures after six weeks of pregnancy and authorized private civil right of action related to violations of the law, meaning private citizens, including citizens residing outside of the state of Texas, to bring civil actions against individuals for aiding a patient with getting an abortion.[49]

Cuellar defended his vote on an October 2021 teleconference. "It’s called conscience,” Cuellar said. “I am a Catholic, and I do believe in rights and right to life. … Sometimes people vote because of political (views), they think this is a Democratic or Republican issue. To me, it’s a matter of conscience," he said. "By the way, when people frame this as ‘women’s health’ … if you want to call it abortion, call it abortion, please call it abortion. Women’s health — I have added money for healthcare for women. I got two daughters and I surely want to make sure that we fight breast cancer and other things that affect mothers, so I have added millions of dollars on healthcare for women. But if you want to call it abortion, call it abortion. It’s not a health issue."[50]

Cisernos released an ad in May 2022 criticizing Cuellar's vote. The narrator of the ad said, "We showed up and spoke out when Texas Republicans passed the most extreme abortion ban in the country. But Henry Cuellar sided with them, the Lone Democrat, against a woman's right to make her own decisions, even opposing lifesaving care. But on May 24 you can have the last word, Jessica Cisneros is the pro choice candidates who will fight for our healthcare and always protect our right to make our own decisions."[51]

District analysis

Click the tabs below to view information about voter composition, past elections, and demographics in both the district and the state.

  • District map - A map of the district before and after redistricting.
  • Effect of redistricting - How districts in the state changed as a result of redistricting following the 2020 census.
  • Competitiveness - Information about the competitiveness of 2022 U.S. House elections in the state.
  • Presidential elections - Information about presidential elections in the district and the state.
  • Demographics - Information about the state's demographics and how they compare to the country as a whole.
  • State party control - The partisan makeup of the state's congressional delegation and state government.

District map

Below was the map in use at the time of the election, enacted as part of the 2020 redistricting cycle, compared to the map in place before the election.

Texas District 28
before 2020 redistricting cycle

Click a district to compare boundaries.

Texas District 28
after 2020 redistricting cycle

Click a district to compare boundaries.


Effect of redistricting

See also: Redistricting in Texas after the 2020 census

The table below details the results of the 2020 presidential election in each district at the time of the 2022 election and its political predecessor district.[52] This data was compiled by Daily Kos Elections.[53]

2020 presidential results by Congressional district, Texas
District 2022 district Political predecessor district
Joe Biden Democratic Party Donald Trump Republican Party Joe Biden Democratic Party Donald Trump Republican Party
Texas' 1st 26.5% 72.4% 27.2% 71.6%
Texas' 2nd 37.9% 60.7% 48.6% 49.9%
Texas' 3rd 42.0% 56.4% 48.7% 49.8%
Texas' 4th 36.4% 62.4% 24.4% 74.4%
Texas' 5th 38.2% 60.6% 37.9% 60.9%
Texas' 6th 37.4% 61.3% 47.8% 50.8%
Texas' 7th 64.2% 34.5% 53.6% 45.1%
Texas' 8th 35.8% 63.0% 28.1% 70.6%
Texas' 9th 76.2% 22.8% 75.7% 23.3%
Texas' 10th 39.8% 58.6% 48.4% 50.0%
Texas' 11th 29.1% 69.5% 19.7% 79.1%
Texas' 12th 40.1% 58.3% 37.9% 60.5%
Texas' 13th 26.5% 72.0% 19.4% 79.2%
Texas' 14th 35.0% 63.6% 39.6% 59.0%
Texas' 15th 48.1% 51.0% TX-15: 50.4%
TX-34: 51.5%		 TX-15: 48.5%
TX-34: 47.5%
Texas' 16th 67.0% 31.5% 66.4% 32.0%
Texas' 17th 38.0% 60.5% 43.6% 54.6%
Texas' 18th 73.6% 25.1% 75.7% 23.0%
Texas' 19th 26.2% 72.4% 26.3% 72.2%
Texas' 20th 65.8% 32.7% 63.7% 34.7%
Texas' 21st 39.4% 59.1% 47.9% 50.6%
Texas' 22nd 41.3% 57.4% 48.9% 49.8%
Texas' 23rd 45.8% 52.9% 48.5% 50.3%
Texas' 24th 43.0% 55.4% 51.9% 46.5%
Texas' 25th 33.8% 64.9% 44.4% 54.0%
Texas' 26th 40.0% 58.6% 42.1% 56.3%
Texas' 27th 38.1% 60.6% 37.5% 61.2%
Texas' 28th 52.9% 45.9% 51.6% 47.2%
Texas' 29th 67.8% 31.0% 65.9% 32.9%
Texas' 30th 77.8% 21.0% 79.8% 18.9%
Texas' 31st 39.0% 59.2% 47.6% 50.4%
Texas' 32nd 65.7% 32.7% 54.4% 44.0%
Texas' 33rd 74.2% 24.4% 73.0% 25.6%
Texas' 34th 57.3% 41.8% TX-15: 50.4%
TX-34: 51.5%		 TX-15: 48.5%
TX-34: 47.5%
Texas' 35th 71.7% 26.5% --- ---
Texas' 36th 33.6% 65.2% 26.9% 71.9%
Texas' 37th 75.5% 22.7% 67.7% 30.5%
Texas' 38th 40.2% 58.4% --- ---

Competitiveness

See also: Primary election competitiveness in state and federal government, 2022

This section contains data on U.S. House primary election competitiveness in Texas.

Post-filing deadline analysis

The following analysis covers all U.S. House districts up for election in Texas in 2022. Information below was calculated on Jan. 27, 2022, and may differ from information shown in the table above due to candidate replacements and withdrawals after that time.

In 2022, 223 candidates filed to run for Texas’ 38 U.S. House districts, including 143 Republicans, 79 Democrats, and one independent candidate. That’s 5.9 candidates per district, less than the 6.5 candidates per district in 2020 and 5.9 in 2018.

Texas gained two U.S. House districts following the 2020 census. Two members of the U.S. House filed to run for re-election in a different district than the one represented before redistricting: Lloyd Doggett (D) filed in the new 37th District, while Vicente Gonzalez (D) filed in the 34th District seat held by retiring Rep. Filemon Vela (D).

Six districts were open, meaning no incumbent filed to run. In addition to Gonzalez’s and Doggett’s districts, these included the newly-created 38th District and the 1st, 8th, and 30th districts. 1st District incumbent Louie Gohmert (R) filed to run for state attorney general, while incumbents Kevin Brady (R) and Eddie Bernice Johnson (D) did not file for re-election.

This was the same number as 2012, the previous post-redistricting cycle, and 2020. There were seven open seats in 2018.


There were 13 incumbents who filed to run in districts without any primary challengers.

Three districts were likely to be won by Republicans because no Democrats filed. There were no districts where the same is true of Democratic candidates.

Fifteen candidates each filed to run in the 15th and 30th Districts, more than any other. Six Democrats and nine Republicans filed in the 15th. Nine Democrats and six Republicans filed in the 30th. Both districts were open.

Presidential elections

Partisan Voter Index

See also: The Cook Political Report's Partisan Voter Index

Heading into the 2022 elections, based on results from the 2020 and 2016 presidential elections, the Cook Partisan Voter Index for this district was D+3. This meant that in those two presidential elections, this district's results were 3 percentage points more Democratic than the national average. This made Texas' 28th the 183rd most Democratic district nationally.[54]

2020 presidential election results

The table below shows what the vote in the 2020 presidential election would have been in this district. The presidential election data was compiled by Daily Kos.

2020 presidential results in Texas' 28th based on 2022 district lines
Joe Biden Democratic Party Donald Trump Republican Party
52.9% 45.9%

Presidential voting history

See also: Presidential election in Texas, 2020

Texas presidential election results (1900-2020)

  • 16 Democratic wins
  • 15 Republican wins
Year 1900 1904 1908 1912 1916 1920 1924 1928 1932 1936 1940 1944 1948 1952 1956 1960 1964 1968 1972 1976 1980 1984 1988 1992 1996 2000 2004 2008 2012 2016 2020
Winning Party D D D D D D D R D D D D D R R D D D R D R R R R R R R R R R R


Demographics

The table below details demographic data in Texas and compares it to the broader United States as of 2019. {{{Demo widget}}}

State party control

Congressional delegation

The table below displays the partisan composition of Texas' congressional delegation as of November 2022.

Congressional Partisan Breakdown from Texas, November 2022
Party U.S. Senate U.S. House Total
Democratic 0 12 12
Republican 2 24 26
Independent 0 0 0
Vacancies 0 0 0
Total 2 36 38

State executive

The table below displays the officeholders in Texas' top four state executive offices as of November 2022.

State executive officials in Texas, November 2022
Office Officeholder
Governor Republican Party Greg Abbott
Lieutenant Governor Republican Party Dan Patrick
Secretary of State Republican Party John Scott
Attorney General Republican Party Ken Paxton

State legislature

The tables below highlight the partisan composition of the Texas State Legislature as of November 2022.

Texas State Senate

Party As of November 2022
     Democratic Party 13
     Republican Party 18
     Vacancies 0
Total 31

Texas House of Representatives

Party As of November 2022
     Democratic Party 65
     Republican Party 83
     Vacancies 2
Total 150

Trifecta control

As of November 2022, Texas was a Republican trifecta, with majorities in both chambers of the state legislature and control of the governorship. The table below displays the historical trifecta status of the state.

Texas Party Control: 1992-2022
Three years of Democratic trifectas  •  Twenty years of Republican trifectas
Scroll left and right on the table below to view more years.

Year 92 93 94 95 96 97 98 99 00 01 02 03 04 05 06 07 08 09 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22
Governor D D D R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R
Senate D D D D D R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R
House D D D D D D D D D D D R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R

Election context

Ballot access requirements

The table below details filing requirements for U.S. House candidates in Texas in the 2022 election cycle. For additional information on candidate ballot access requirements in Texas, click here.

Filing requirements for U.S. House candidates, 2022
State Office Party Signatures required Filing fee Filing deadline Source
Texas U.S. House Democratic or Republican 2% of all votes cast for governor in the district in the last election, or 500, whichever is less $3,125.00 12/13/2021 Source
Texas U.S. House Unaffiliated 5% of all votes cast for governor in the district in the last election, or 500, whichever is less N/A 6/23/2022 Source

District history

2020

See also: Texas' 28th Congressional District election, 2020

General election

General election for U.S. House Texas District 28

Incumbent Henry Cuellar defeated Sandra Whitten and Bekah Congdon in the general election for U.S. House Texas District 28 on November 3, 2020.

Candidate
%
Votes
✔
Image of Henry Cuellar
Henry Cuellar (D)
 
58.3
 
137,494
Image of Sandra Whitten
Sandra Whitten (R) Candidate Connection
 
39.0
 
91,925
Image of Bekah Congdon
Bekah Congdon (L) Candidate Connection
 
2.7
 
6,425

Incumbents are bolded and underlined. The results have been certified. Source

Total votes: 235,844
Candidate Connection = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey.

Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team.

Democratic primary election

Democratic primary for U.S. House Texas District 28

Incumbent Henry Cuellar defeated Jessica Cisneros in the Democratic primary for U.S. House Texas District 28 on March 3, 2020.

Candidate
%
Votes
✔
Image of Henry Cuellar
Henry Cuellar
 
51.8
 
38,834
Image of Jessica Cisneros
Jessica Cisneros Candidate Connection
 
48.2
 
36,144

Incumbents are bolded and underlined. The results have been certified. Source

Total votes: 74,978
Candidate Connection = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey.

Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team.

Republican primary election

Republican primary for U.S. House Texas District 28

Sandra Whitten advanced from the Republican primary for U.S. House Texas District 28 on March 3, 2020.

Candidate
%
Votes
✔
Image of Sandra Whitten
Sandra Whitten Candidate Connection
 
100.0
 
20,656

There were no incumbents in this race. The results have been certified. Source

Total votes: 20,656
Candidate Connection = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey.

Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team.

Libertarian convention

Libertarian convention for U.S. House Texas District 28

Bekah Congdon advanced from the Libertarian convention for U.S. House Texas District 28 on March 21, 2020.

Candidate
✔
Image of Bekah Congdon
Bekah Congdon (L) Candidate Connection

There were no incumbents in this race. The results have been certified.

Candidate Connection = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey.

Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team.

2018

See also: Texas' 28th Congressional District election, 2018

General election

General election for U.S. House Texas District 28

Incumbent Henry Cuellar defeated Arthur Thomas IV in the general election for U.S. House Texas District 28 on November 6, 2018.

Candidate
%
Votes
✔
Image of Henry Cuellar
Henry Cuellar (D)
 
84.4
 
117,494
Image of Arthur Thomas IV
Arthur Thomas IV (L) Candidate Connection
 
15.6
 
21,732

Incumbents are bolded and underlined. The results have been certified. Source

Total votes: 139,226
Candidate Connection = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey.

Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team.

Democratic primary election

Democratic primary for U.S. House Texas District 28

Incumbent Henry Cuellar advanced from the Democratic primary for U.S. House Texas District 28 on March 6, 2018.

Candidate
%
Votes
✔
Image of Henry Cuellar
Henry Cuellar
 
100.0
 
39,221

Incumbents are bolded and underlined. The results have been certified. Source

Total votes: 39,221
Candidate Connection = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey.

Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team.

2016

See also: Texas' 28th Congressional District election, 2016

Heading into the election, Ballotpedia rated this race as safely Democratic. Incumbent Henry Cuellar (D) defeated Zeffen Hardin (R) and Michael Cary (G) in the general election on November 8, 2016. Cuellar defeated William Hayward in the Democratic primary on March 1, 2016, while Hardin faced no opposition in the Republican primary.[55][56]

U.S. House, Texas District 28 General Election, 2016
Party Candidate Vote % Votes
     Democratic Green check mark transparent.pngHenry Cuellar Incumbent 66.2% 122,086
     Republican Zeffen Hardin 31.3% 57,740
     Green Michael Cary 2.5% 4,616
Total Votes 184,442
Source: Texas Secretary of State

U.S. House, Texas District 28 Democratic Primary, 2016
Candidate Vote % Votes
Green check mark transparent.pngHenry Cuellar Incumbent 89.8% 49,993
William Hayward 10.2% 5,683
Total Votes 55,676
Source: Texas Secretary of State

2014

See also: Texas' 28th Congressional District elections, 2014

The 28th Congressional District of Texas held an election for the U.S. House of Representatives on November 4, 2014. Incumbent Henry Cuellar (D) defeated Will Aikens (L) and Michael Cary (G) in the general election.

U.S. House, Texas District 28 General Election, 2014
Party Candidate Vote % Votes
     Democratic Green check mark transparent.pngHenry Cuellar Incumbent 82.1% 62,508
     Libertarian Will Aikens 13.3% 10,153
     Green Michael Cary 4.6% 3,475
Total Votes 76,136
Source: Texas Secretary of State

2012

See also: Texas' 28th Congressional District elections, 2012

The 28th Congressional District of Texas held an election for the U.S. House of Representatives on November 6, 2012, in which incumbent Henry Cuellar (D) won re-election. He defeated William Hayward (R), Patrick Hisel (L) and Michael Cary (G) in the general election.[57]

U.S. House, Texas District 28 General Election, 2012
Party Candidate Vote % Votes
     Democratic Green check mark transparent.pngHenry Cuellar Incumbent 67.9% 112,456
     Republican William R. Hayward 29.8% 49,309
     Libertarian Patrick Hisel 1.5% 2,473
     Green Michael D. Cary 0.8% 1,407
Total Votes 165,645
Source: Texas Secretary of State "Official Election Results, 2012 General Election"

Earlier results


See also

External links

Footnotes

  1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 CBS News, "Rep. Henry Cuellar wins contentious south Texas Democratic primary runoff," June 21, 2022
  2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3 CNN, "Jessica Cisneros to file for recount of runoff with Rep. Henry Cuellar in Texas," June 6, 2022
  3. ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 3.3 Twitter, "Patrick Svitek on June 9, 2022," accessed June 10, 2022
  4. ↑ 4.0 4.1 Politico, "Jessica Cisneros launches primary rematch against Rep. Henry Cuellar," August 5, 2021
  5. ↑ Newsweek, "Henry Cuellar Lone Democrat to Vote Against Abortion Rights as Bill Passes House," September 24, 2021
  6. ↑ The Texas Tribune, "Jessica Cisneros will again challenge U.S. Rep. Henry Cuellar in Democratic primary for congressional seat," August 5, 2021
  7. ↑ San Antonio Express-News, "Editorial: Cisneros and Vasquez Ng best in CD 28," accessed January 24, 2022
  8. ↑ The Texas Tribune, "South Texas was already a political battleground. New maps could alter game plans." October 4, 2021
  9. ↑ News4Jax, "Texas recount underway between Texas Rep. Cuellar, Cisneros," June 16, 2022
  10. ↑ Politico, "Pramila Jayapal endorses Jessica Cisneros in Texas runoff," May 19, 2022
  11. ↑ 11.0 11.1 11.2 Twitter, "Patrick Svitek on May 18, 2022," accessed May 19, 2022
  12. ↑ 12.0 12.1 Politico, "EMILY's List goes on air against Cuellar in Texas primary battle," May 16, 2022
  13. ↑ 13.0 13.1 San Antonio Express-News, "Rep. Henry Cuellar’s allies smear Democratic contender Jessica Cisneros with ‘homewrecker’ billboard," May 18, 2022
  14. ↑ 14.0 14.1 Twitter, "Patrick Svitek on May 11, 2022," accessed May 12, 2022
  15. ↑ Twitter, "Patrick Svitek on May 10, 2022," accessed May 10, 2022
  16. ↑ Twitter, "Patrick Svitek on May 10, 2022," accessed May 10, 2022
  17. ↑ Houston Chronicle, "Top House Democrat to campaign for Henry Cuellar in runoff with progressive Jessica Cisneros," April 26, 2022
  18. ↑ Texas Signal, "End Citizens United/Let America Vote endorses Jessica Cisneros for Congress," April 21, 2022
  19. ↑ 19.0 19.1 Twitter, "Patrick Svitek on April 11, 2022," accessed April 11, 2022
  20. ↑ Twitter, "Henry Cuellar on March 24, 2022," accessed April 26, 2022
  21. ↑ Twitter, "Ed Markey on March 10, 2022," accessed March 11, 2022
  22. ↑ Ad reported by Patrick Svitek on May 13, 2022.
  23. ↑ Ad reported by AdImpact on April 26, 2022.
  24. ↑ Ad posted by Jessica Cisneros on February 16, 2022.
  25. ↑ Ad reported by Patrick Svitek on February 7, 2022.
  26. ↑ According to AdImpact, "Cisneros for TX CD-28 started airing this Contrast ad about Cuellar for TX CD-28 on 01/25/22 in the TX CD-28 2022 Primary election."
  27. ↑ NBC News, "Biden hoped to defy midterm trends. Here's why he probably won't," April 27, 2022
  28. ↑ Ad reported by Patrick Svitek on February 9, 2022.
  29. ↑ Ad reported by Roman Pérez on April 27, 2022.
  30. ↑ According to AdImpact, "Cuellar for TX CD-28 started airing this Negative ad about Cisneros for TX CD-28 on 02/15/22 in the TX CD-28 2022 Primary election."
  31. ↑ Twitter, "Patrick Svitek on April 29, 2022," accessed May 2, 2022
  32. ↑ Politico, "EMILY's List goes on air against Cuellar in Texas primary battle," May 13, 2022
  33. ↑ Twitter, "Patrick Svitek on April 28, 2022," accessed May 2, 2022
  34. ↑ Inside Elections also uses Tilt ratings to indicate an even smaller advantage and greater competitiveness.
  35. ↑ Amee LaTour, "Email correspondence with Nathan Gonzalez," April 19, 2018
  36. ↑ Amee LaTour, "Email correspondence with Kyle Kondik," April 19, 2018
  37. ↑ Amee LaTour, "Email correspondence with Charlie Cook," April 22, 2018
  38. ↑ Fundraising by primary candidates can be found on the race's respective primary election page. Fundraising by general election candidates can be found on the race's general election page.
  39. ↑ Federal Election Commission, "2022 Quarterly Reports," accessed March 2, 2022
  40. ↑ OpenSecrets.org, "Outside Spending," accessed December 12, 2021
  41. ↑ OpenSecrets.org, "Total Outside Spending by Election Cycle, All Groups," accessed December 12, 2021
  42. ↑ National Review.com, "Why the Media Hate Super PACs," December 12, 2021
  43. ↑ Twitter, "Patrick Svitek on May 10, 2022," accessed May 11, 2022
  44. ↑ Twitter, "Patrick Svitek on May 5, 2022," accessed May 9, 2022
  45. ↑ Politico, "Supreme Court has voted to overturn abortion rights, draft opinion shows," May 2, 2022
  46. ↑ Twitter, "Patrick Svitek on May 3, 2022," accessed May 4, 2022
  47. ↑ 47.0 47.1 Note: This text is quoted verbatim from the original source. Any inconsistencies are attributable to the original source.
  48. ↑ Twitter, "Patrick Svitek on May 4, 2022," accessed May 4, 2022
  49. ↑ The Texas Tribune, "Texas law banning abortion as early as six weeks goes into effect as the U.S. Supreme Court takes no action," August 31, 2021
  50. ↑ Laredo Morning Times, "‘It’s called conscience’: Cuellar says abortion ‘not women’s health, October 10, 2021
  51. ↑ AdImpact, "Extreme Abortion Ban," accessed May 4, 2022
  52. ↑ Political predecessor districts are determined primarily based on incumbents and where each chose to seek re-election.
  53. ↑ Daily Kos Elections, "Daily Kos Elections 2020 presidential results by congressional district (old CDs vs. new CDs)," accessed May 12, 2022
  54. ↑ Cook Political Report, "The 2022 Cook Partisan Voting Index (Cook PVI℠)," accessed February 6, 2023
  55. ↑ Texas Secretary of State, "2016 March Primary Election Candidate Filings by County," accessed December 15, 2015
  56. ↑ The New York Times, "Texas Primary Results," March 1, 2016
  57. ↑ Politico, "2012 Election Map, Texas," November 6, 2012
  58. ↑ U.S. Congress House Clerk, "Statistics of the Congressional Election of November 2, 2010," accessed March 28, 2013
  59. ↑ U.S. Congress House Clerk, "Statistics of the Congressional Election of November 4, 2008," accessed March 28, 2013
  60. ↑ U.S. Congress House Clerk, "Statistics of the Congressional Election of November 7, 2006," accessed March 28, 2013
  61. ↑ U.S. Congress House Clerk, "Statistics of the Congressional Election of November 2, 2004," accessed March 28, 2013
  62. ↑ U.S. Congress House Clerk, "Statistics of the Congressional Election of November 5, 2002," accessed March 28, 2013
  63. ↑ U.S. Congress House Clerk, "Statistics of the Congressional Election of November 7, 2000," accessed March 28, 2013
  64. ↑ U.S. Congress House Clerk, "Statistics of the Congressional Election of November 3, 1998," accessed March 28, 2013
  65. ↑ U.S. Congress House Clerk, "Statistics of the Congressional Election of November 5, 1996," accessed March 28, 2013
  66. ↑ U.S. Congress House Clerk, "Statistics of the Congressional Election of November 8, 1994," accessed March 28, 2013
  67. ↑ U.S. Congress House Clerk, "Statistics of the Congressional Election of November 3, 1992," accessed March 28, 2013


Texas' current delegation to the United States Congress
Senators
John Cornyn (R)
Ted Cruz (R)
Representatives
District 1
District 2
District 3
District 4
District 5
District 6
District 7
District 8
District 9
Al Green (D)
District 10
District 11
District 12
District 13
District 14
District 15
District 16
District 17
District 18
Vacant
District 19
District 20
District 21
Chip Roy (R)
District 22
District 23
District 24
District 25
District 26
District 27
District 28
District 29
District 30
District 31
District 32
District 33
District 34
District 35
District 36
District 37
District 38
Republican Party (27)
Democratic Party (12)
Vacancies (1)


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