Progressive Texas congressional candidate Jessica Cisneros, backed by Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, lost to incumbent Rep. Henry Cuellar in the second round of the Democratic primary.
Cuellar, a moderate anti-abortion Democrat, declared victory over his left-wing rival in a runoff in May, but the race was too close to declare within weeks after Cisneros demanded a recount. On Tuesday, election officials concluded that Cuellar had won by a few more votes than originally reported.
“As I said on election night, ‘the preponderance will continue’ — and not only has it been maintained, it has increased,” Cuellar said in a statement.
“For those who did not vote for me, as your congressman, I will continue to work hard for you in Washington. While we may differ on some points, we share common ground on many issues to improve our communities and strengthen families,” Cuellar said.
“The time has come to come together and win the general election in November,” he added.
According to the Democratic Party, Cuellar won the 28th constituency with 289 votes after the recount.
In her concession applicationCisneros blamed her loss on “a corrupt political machine, the Republican-funded Super PAC, the Koch brothers, private prisons, Big Oil, the Chamber of Commerce, dark money groups, Big Pharma, and pretty much the entire Democratic Party establishment in Washington.”
“With such a small margin, it is clear that without their aggressive intervention in the lives of families in South Texas, we would have won,” she said.
“The biggest thing holding us back from the change we deserve is their fear. Fear of change, fear of the future.
She vowed to continue working to get left-wing Texas Democrats elected to Congress.
“After a tense primary struggle, the voters of South Texas have spoken out and decided that Henry Cuellar will again represent them in Washington, continuing his work of leading the frontier and championing the interests of hard-working middle-class families from Laredo. in San Antonio,” Texas Democratic Party chairman Gilberto Hinojos said in a statement.
“We are grateful to Jessica Cisneros for the positive campaign she has led, shedding light on issues that truly affect South Texas. We all know she will continue to fight for the South Texans as we collectively support our candidate, Henry Cuellar.”
After the May 24 election, Cuellar, who has represented the 28th District of Texas since 2005, was ahead of his progressive opponent by just 177 votes. Cuellar will face GOP candidate Cassi Garcia in November as the GOP looks to regain a majority in the House of Representatives.
