Texas' 28th Congressional District election, 2020 (March 3 Democratic primary)

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Texas' 28th Congressional District
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Democratic primary
Republican primary
General election
Election details
Filing deadline: December 9, 2019
Primary: March 3, 2020
General: November 3, 2020
Pre-election incumbent:
Henry Cuellar (Democratic)
How to vote
Poll times: 7 a.m. to 7 p.m.
Voting in Texas
Race ratings
Cook Political Report: Solid Democratic
Sabato's Crystal Ball: Safe Democratic
Inside Elections: Solid Democratic
Ballotpedia analysis
U.S. Senate battlegrounds
U.S. House battlegrounds
Federal and state primary competitiveness
Ballotpedia's Election Analysis Hub, 2020
See also
Texas' 28th Congressional District
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Texas elections, 2020
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U.S. House elections, 2020

Incumbent Henry Cuellar defeated Jessica Cisneros in the Democratic Party primary for Texas' 28th Congressional District on March 3, 2020. He advanced to the general election on November 3. Cuellar received 51.8 percent of the vote, and Cisneros received 48.2 percent of the vote.

Cuellar, who was first elected in 2004, described himself as a moderate-centrist Democrat and said that his voting record aligned with the 28th District. He argued that his challenger was an outsider backed by special interests who did not understand the district.[1] "I’ve been polling and my district is more moderate, conservative Democrats, and I think an outside group that thinks that they know South Texas politics better than I do are going to find [that] out," he said.[2]

Cisneros described herself as a progressive and said she supported policies such as the Green New Deal, Medicare for All, and a $15 per hour minimum wage. She criticized Cuellar's voting record, saying that he had voted with President Trump 70% of the time, and called Cuellar "Trump's favorite Democrat."[3] She said that Cuellar was wrong about the district being made up of more conservative Democrats. "My gut instinct has always told me that's not the case . . . and as we've been knocking on doors, that feeling has been validated," she said.[4]

The 28th District is located in the Eagle Ford Shale region, which Politico said was at "the center of the boom in U.S. oil and gas production." Cuellar opposed the Green New Deal and told C-SPAN that the legislation would eliminate thousands of jobs in the district. Cisneros argued that the Green New Deal would switch the region's focus to solar and wind energies and create new jobs based around those markets.[5]

Cisneros was endorsed by Justice Democrats and U.S. Sens. Bernie Sanders (I) and Elizabeth Warren (D).[6] Cuellar was endorsed by figures from the Democratic establishment, such as Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D) and Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee Chairwoman Rep. Cheri Bustos (D).

The 28th District had a Cook 2017 Partisan Voter Index score of D+9, meaning this district's results were 9 percentage points more Democratic than the national average in the 2012 and 2016 presidential elections. All three major race rating outlets rated the race as solid Democratic. Cuellar won re-election by 70 percentage points in 2018 against a minor-party candidate, and he last defeated a Republican challenger by 35 percentage points in 2016. Click here to learn more about what was at stake in the general election.

Click on candidate names below to view their key messages:


Cisneros
Cuellar


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

Election procedure changes in 2020

See also: Changes to election dates, procedures, and administration in response to the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, 2020

Ballotpedia provided comprehensive coverage of how election dates and procedures changed in 2020. While the majority of changes occurred as a result of the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, some changes occurred for other reasons.

Texas modified its primary election process as follows:

  • Election postponements: The primary runoff elections were postponed from May 26 to July 14.
  • Political party events: The Republican Party of Texas convention, scheduled for July 16-18 in Houston, was cancelled. The party conducted its convention online.

For a full timeline about election modifications made in response to the COVID-19 outbreak, click here.


Candidates and election results

Democratic primary election

Democratic primary for U.S. House Texas District 28

Candidate
%
Votes
✔
Image of https://s3.amazonaws.com/ballotpedia-api4/files/thumbs/100/100/Henry_Cuellar.jpg
Henry Cuellar
 
51.8
 
38,834
Image of https://s3.amazonaws.com/ballotpedia-api4/files/thumbs/100/100/jessicacisnerosoficialcampaign.jpg
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.

Candidate profiles

This section includes candidate profiles created in one of two ways. Either the candidate completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey or Ballotpedia staff created a profile after identifying the candidate as noteworthy.[7] Ballotpedia staff compiled profiles based on campaign websites, advertisements, and public statements.

Jessica Cisneros

Image of Jessica Cisneros

WebsiteFacebookTwitterYouTube

Party: Democratic Party

Incumbent: No

Political Office: None

Submitted Biography:  "My name is Jessica Cisneros. I'm an immigration and human rights attorney and proud Mexican-American woman running for Congress in Texas' 28th district to fight for working families. I was born and raised in the border town of Laredo, Texas and have both my undergraduate and law degrees from the University of Texas. During my career, I specialized in representing people in immigration court as they faced deportation proceedings while detained. South Texas needs a champion in Congress, and I'm running to be a true Democratic leader for my community."

Key Messages

To read this candidate's full survey responses, click here.

I'm an immigration and human rights attorney and I've spent years fighting for families in South Texas. I'm running for Congress because I've lived through so many of the struggles that far too many people in my community face. I'm a working class person, have lost family members because they could not afford healthcare, and have personally seen so many families torn apart by our cruel immigration system.

I'm not taking a dime from corporate PACs or lobbyists because I only want to be accountable to the people of my community when I get to Washington.

When elected, I will fight to ensure that healthcare is a right and not a privilege; I'll advocate for comprehensive immigration reform that includes a path to citizenship and keeps families together; and I'll work to increase the minimum wage so people are not forced to work two or three jobs just to make ends meet.

This information was current as of the candidate's run for U.S. House Texas District 28 in 2020.

Henry Cuellar

Image of Henry Cuellar

WebsiteFacebookTwitter

Party: Democratic Party

Incumbent: Yes

Political Office: U.S. House (Assumed office: 2005)

Biography:  Cuellar received his associate degree from Laredo Community College, his bachelor's from Georgetown University, his J.D. at the University of Texas, his master's from Texas A&M, and his Ph.D. from the University of Texas. His professional experience includes working as a lawyer.


Key Messages

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

Cuellar said that his priorities were expanding access to health care, lowering prescription drug prices, opposing the border wall, and protecting local jobs and public schools.

Cuellar said that Cisneros and the groups backing her do not understand his district. "I’ve been polling and my district is more moderate, conservative Democrats, and I think an outside group that thinks that they know South Texas politics better than I do are going to find [that] out,” he said.

Cuellar supported investment in domestic energy production with domestic energy sources. He opposed the Green New Deal and argued it would eliminate jobs in the 28th District.

Show sources

Sources: Henry Cuellar 2020 campaign website, "Track Record," accessed February 6, 2020 ; Biographical Directory of the United States Congress, "Henry Cuellar," accessed August 10, 2011

This information was current as of the candidate's run for U.S. House Texas District 28 in 2020.


Endorsements

This section lists endorsements issued in this election. If you are aware of endorsements that should be included, please email us.


Click on the links below to explore each candidate's full list of endorsements on their campaign websites:

Democratic primary endorsements
Endorsement Cisneros Cuellar
Newspapers and editorials
Daily Kos[8] ✔
Elected officials
U.S. Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.)[9] ✔
U.S. Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.)[10] ✔
U.S. Rep. Cheri Bustos (D-Ill.)[10] ✔
U.S. Rep. Pramila Jayapal (D-Wash.)[11] ✔
U.S. Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-N.Y.)[12] ✔
U.S. Rep. Ayanna Pressley (D-Mass.)[12] ✔
U.S. Rep. Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.)[10] ✔
Individuals
Former U.S. Secretary of Housing and Urban Development Julián Castro (D)[13] ✔
Organizations
American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees[14] ✔
Communications Workers of America[15] ✔
Combined Law Enforcement Associations of Texas[16] ✔
Courage to Change[17] ✔
Deputy Sheriff's Association of Bexar County[16] ✔
EMILY's List[18] ✔
International Association of Fire Fighters[16] ✔
JStreetPAC[12] ✔
Justice Democrats[19] ✔
Laredo Firefighters Association[16] ✔
Laredo Police Officers Association[16] ✔
League of Conservation Voters Action Fund[12] ✔
LIBRE Initiative Action[20] ✔
MoveOn Political Action[12] ✔
NARAL Pro-Choice America[12] ✔
National Association of Police Organizations[16] ✔
National Border Patrol Council[16] ✔
Planned Parenthood Action Fund[12] ✔
Progressive Change Campaign Committee[21] ✔
Service Employees International Union Texas[14] ✔
Texas AFL-CIO[22] ✔
Texas American Federation of Teachers[14] ✔
Texas Municipal Police Association[23] ✔
Texas State Association of Fire Fighters[16] ✔
UNITE HERE Local 23[14] ✔
Workers United Southwest Regional Joint Board[14] ✔

Timeline

2020

Campaign themes

See also: Campaign themes

The following campaign themes and policy positions were found on candidates' campaign websites.

Jessica Cisneros

Cisneros’ campaign website stated the following:

“

Getting big money out of politics
‍Our campaign is about restoring dignity to the hardworking people of the 28th district. That’s why I'm committed to running a grassroots, people-powered campaign. Unlike Congressman Cuellar, I'm not accepting any corporate PAC money, and I will only answer to the people of our district. I support getting big money out of politics and overturning Citizens United, which allows corporations and other special interest groups to spend unlimited amounts of money in our elections. But it’s not enough that I take that pledge –– we need to end the influence of corporate money in our elections and bring trust back to our government. I’m ready to take that fight to Washington.

Being a champion for working Texans
‍My parents came to this country before I was born and started off as farmworkers. My father transitioned into the trucking industry 30 years ago and has been a truck driver ever since. As a child, I watched as my parents, neighbors, and too many members of my community worked long hours and still struggled to get by. I remember the stress of living paycheck to paycheck, a struggle so many families in our district continue to face today. I look forward to being a true champion for the working people of our district in Washington, which is why since day one I've advocated for a federal $15/hour minimum wage indexed to inflation.

I know that our country is strongest when we have a vibrant middle class and where everyone has an equal opportunity to live a meaningful life. This can’t be done without strong labor laws that allow workers to negotiate for proper pay, good working conditions, and benefits they deserve. I will proudly advocate for the power of workers to organize and bargain collectively; unlike Congressman Cuellar, I would support the PRO Act, which takes critical steps toward ensuring workplace fairness. I also support using the joint-employer standard outlined by the NLRB in 2015 and oppose so-called “right to work” laws that weaken unions. I also support closing tax loopholes that encourage jobs and investments to be outsourced.

Finally, I will fight for increased federal investment in public services across the board; from public transportation, to education, public health, and environmental protection. Many areas of TX-28 lack basic infrastructure, and I will wholeheartedly support federal legislation that directs additional resources to rebuild our crumbling infrastructure and creates good-paying jobs for our district. I also will oppose privatization schemes that reduce the quality of services and eliminate middle-class jobs here in Texas.

Advocating for our families
‍ In Congress, I'll fight to make sure our families and our seniors are taken care of. I know the lack of a federal paid leave program disadvantages marginalized groups, leads to lower worker incomes, and often prevents caregivers from remaining in the workforce. According to the OECD, the United States is the only member country that still fails to require employers to provide any paid parental leave, which puts new parents -- particularly new mothers -- at a disadvantage. This is especially damaging for families of color who tend to have less existing resources and assets to draw on when forced to take unpaid leave. According to BLS, only 38 percent of Latino workers have paid sick time, compared with 60 percent of white workers. I support at least 12 weeks of paid universal family and medical leave and at least 7 days of paid sick leave.

In Congress, I will also support efforts to expand social security benefits and make the wealthy to pay their fair share of taxes to help secure social security far into the future by eliminating the Social Security "tax cap." I will always protect Social Security and Medicare, and I'll stand up to efforts to privatize Social Security and cut Medicare benefits because I know seniors have paid into Social Security and Medicare all their lives, and they've earned it. ‍ Fixing our broken immigration system
‍I’m an immigration and human rights attorney who grew up on the border, the daughter of Mexican immigrants. During my career, I specialized in representing people in immigration court as they faced deportation proceedings while detained. I also participated in a groundbreaking program that became the first in the nation public defender model to provide the right to counsel for people facing detained immigration proceedings. While in law school, I served as a Pro Bono Scholar and worked with the faculty to create the Women in Immigration Detention Assistance Project, which assisted asylum seekers at the Hutto Detention Center in Taylor, Texas.

I support a pathway to citizenship for our undocumented brothers and sisters, revamping the visa system, strengthening family reunification, and creating a humane border and immigration policy by scrapping disastrous laws like the 1996 IIRIRA bill. As a removal defense attorney, I’ve seen the consequences of this administration's cruelty in the courtroom firsthand -- which is why I’m an advocate for an independent immigration court system that would not be subject to the whim of any administration.

Making health care a right, not a privilege
‍ No family should have to go into Mexico to receive safe and affordable medical treatment, and no one should die from not being able to afford care. In South Texas, when faced with high medical costs, we support each other by doing plate sales and selling raffle tickets. In Congress, I will fight to ensure that health care is a right, not a privilege. That’s why I support Medicare For All, which would insure every American resident with comprehensive health care while lowering overall costs to families, small businesses, and government.

I also believe women and families deserve access to comprehensive family planning resources and contraception. Women on the border shouldn’t be forced to go into Mexico to receive health care services like mammograms and pap smears. I firmly believe in every person’s right to choose and make decisions about their own lives and their own bodies.

Ensuring equal access to opportunity for our children
‍ Like so many other families in South Texas, my parents worked hard to make sure my sister and I had the opportunity to focus on school and succeed -- and through hard work, I became a lawyer and my sister is became a doctor. But I know my family’s American Dream is the exception, not the rule. I’m proud to receive the support of our local teachers’ unions.

In Congress, I will fight for universal pre-K, tuition-free public college and trade school, and eliminating student debt, so every South Texan has a fair shot at their own dreams. Our teachers are our heroes, but so often their salaries and their livelihoods are the first cuts that Washington makes when they look at a budget. Our classrooms are understocked, our educators are underpaid, and our students are undervalued. That must change.

Caring for our planet and combating climate change
‍ Climate change is a local, national, and global issue that cannot be overstated. I know that my future and the next generation’s future is dependent on bold leaders who will step up to defend our planet. As climate change continues to worsen and threaten our health, safety, and prosperity, we see the global effects from our community right here in South Texas.

I support a Green New Deal because I believe the way we address climate change needs to be as aggressive as the threat it poses. Through a Green New Deal, we will be able to create countless new jobs in our community that we desperately need and we will protect our planet and the future of South Texas.

Fighting for the safety of our communities
‍ The level of gun violence in our country is not normal. I will fight back against the normalization of tragic deaths caused by guns by changing laws and supporting all research related to this issue. Gun violence has touched our district, and polling shows that more and more Latinx Texans support strong gun safety legislation. Our community experienced heartbreak when we lost 26 of our own in the senseless Sutherland Spring tragedy. Although not in our district, the El Paso mass shooting that took the lives of 22 people shocked our community and all Latinx people living along the border.

South Texans know that believing in the second amendment and supporting common sense gun legislation are not mutually exclusive. We need to make our communities and our schools safer by instituting violent history checks and a ban on bump stocks, high capacity magazines, assault weapons, and weapons of war. I’ll always put the safety of our community first, and unlike my opponent, I pledge not to take a dime from the NRA or the gun lobby.

Guaranteeing equality for all
‍ As an immigration and human rights attorney, I’ve seen how our immigration system fails to support the LGBTQ+ community, and I will use my position in Congress to advocate for more LGBTQ-informed medical treatment at the border. I also fully believe that gender-affirming procedures and treatments should be covered for any transgender individual who chooses them through Medicare for All.

As a woman of faith, not only would I oppose efforts that allow individuals to use religious beliefs as a justification for discrimination, but I am looking forward to being a leading voice on this issue to show that prejudice has no place in our policies or our faith. I know every American deserves federally-protected equality when it comes to housing, education, public spaces, and employment and I am prepared to fight for this legislation at every level. ‍[25]

”
—Jessica Cisneros[26]


Henry Cuellar

Cuellar’s campaign website stated the following:

“

In this campaign his priorities are increasing access to health care and lowering prescription drug prices, protecting local jobs, stopping Trump and his border wall, and supporting our local public schools. As a senior, respected member of Congress, Henry has delivered tens of millions to address local priorities. Henry has established a reputation for bringing common sense to Congress and always puts the families he represents first. [25]

”
—Henry Cuellar[1]


Campaign advertisements

This section shows advertisements released in this race. Ads released by campaigns and, if applicable, satellite groups are embedded or linked below. If you are aware of advertisements that should be included, please email us.

Henry Cuellar

Supporting Cuellar

"Law Enforcement Endorsement" - Cuellar campaign ad, released January 22, 2020
"USMCA" - Cuellar campaign ad, released January 22, 2020
"Creating Jobs TX-28" - Cuellar campaign ad, released December 16, 2019
"Texas Grant Education" - Cuellar campaign ad, released December 11, 2019
"Son of a Migrant" - Cuellar campaign ad, released December 11, 2019
"Chip" - Cuellar campaign ad, released December 11, 2019
"Healthcare" - Cuellar campaign ad, released December 11, 2019
"Green Energy" - Cuellar campaign ad, released December 11, 2019
"Veterans" - Cuellar campaign ad, released December 11, 2019

Opposing Cisneros

Jessica Cisneros

Supporting Cisneros

"Afford" - Cisneros campaign ad, released February 3, 2020
"Voice" - Cisneros campaign ad, released January 18, 2020

Opposing Cuellar

"Crossed" - Cisneros campaign ad, released February 19, 2020


Satellite group ads

Supporting Cisneros

"A D@%n Big One" - Texas Forward ad, released February 5, 2020

Supporting Cuellar

Opposing Cuellar


Polls

See also: Ballotpedia's approach to covering polls

If you are aware of polls conducted in this race, please email us.

Campaign finance

The chart below contains data from financial reports submitted to the Federal Election Commission.

Name Party Receipts* Disbursements** Cash on hand Date
Henry Cuellar Democratic Party $2,752,019 $3,747,550 $1,550,473 As of December 31, 2020
Jessica Cisneros Democratic Party $2,028,916 $2,025,947 $2,969 As of December 31, 2020

Source: Federal Elections Commission, "Campaign finance data," 2020. 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, commonly referred to as outside 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.[27][28][29]

This section lists satellite spending in this race reported by news outlets in alphabetical order. If you are aware of spending that should be included, please email us.

  • American Workers for Progress spent $700,000 on television ads on health care in support of Cuellar as of February 4, 2020.[24]
  • LIBRE Initiative Action spent $35,000 on digital and mail ads in support of Cuellar.[30]
  • The National Association of Realtors spent $47,000 in support of Cuellar as of February 10, 2020.[31]
  • Texas Forward, a group affiliated with EMILY's List, had spent $1.2 million on ads supporting Cisneros and opposing Cuellar as of February 4, 2020.[24]
  • The United States Chamber of Commerce spent $200,000 on a February 2020 television ad buy in support of Cuellar.[24]
  • The Voter Protection Project spent $218,000 on a mail campaign in support of Cuellar.[32]
  • In February 2020, the Working Families Party, Communication Workers of America, Service Employees International Union, and Texas Organizing Project announced $350,000 in joint spending in support of Cisneros.[33]

Primaries in Texas

A primary election is an election in which registered voters select a candidate that they believe should be a political party's candidate for elected office to run in the general election. They are also used to choose convention delegates and party leaders. Primaries are state-level and local-level elections that take place prior to a general election. Texas utilizes an open primary system. Voters do not have to register with a party in advance in order to participate in that party's primary. The voter must sign a pledge stating the following (the language below is taken directly from state statutes):[34][35]

“ The following pledge shall be placed on the primary election ballot above the listing of candidates' names: 'I am a (insert appropriate political party) and understand that I am ineligible to vote or participate in another political party's primary election or convention during this voting year.'[25] ”

For information about which offices are nominated via primary election, see this article.

Runoff elections in Texas

In Texas, a primary election candidate for congressional, state, or county office must receive a majority of the vote (more than 50%) to be declared the winner. If no candidate wins the requisite majority, a runoff election is held between the top two vote-getters.[36]

As of 2020, the Texas Secretary of State office stated, "There is no requirement to have previously voted in the general primary election in order to participate in the subsequent primary runoff election. Therefore, if a qualified voter did not vote in the general primary election, they are still eligible to vote in the primary runoff election." The office also stated that "if a voter votes in the primary of one party, they will only be able to vote in that party’s primary runoff election. ... After being affiliated with a party, a voter is not able to change or cancel their party affiliation until the end of the calendar year."[37]


What was at stake in the general election?

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

U.S. House elections were held on November 3, 2020, and coincided with the 2020 presidential election. All 435 House districts were up for election, and the results determined control of the U.S. House in the 117th Congress.

At the time of the election, Democrats had a 232-197 advantage over Republicans. There was one Libertarian member, and there were five vacancies. Republicans needed to gain a net 21 seats to win control of the House. Democrats needed to gain seats or lose fewer than 14 net seats to keep their majority.

In the 2018 midterm election, Democrats had a net gain of 40 seats, winning a 235-200 majority in the House. Heading into the 2018 election, Republicans had a 235-193 majority with seven vacancies.

In the 25 previous House elections that coincided with a presidential election, the president's party had gained House seats in 16 elections and lost seats in nine. In years where the president's party won districts, the average gain was 18. In years where the president's party lost districts, the average loss was 27. Click here for more information on presidential partisanship and down-ballot outcomes.


General election race ratings

See also: Race rating definitions and methods

Ballotpedia provides race ratings from three outlets: The Cook Political Report, Inside Elections, and Sabato's Crystal Ball. 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.[38]
  • 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.[39][40][41]

Race ratings: Texas' 28th Congressional District election, 2020
Race trackerRace ratings
November 3, 2020October 27, 2020October 20, 2020October 13, 2020
The Cook Political ReportSolid DemocraticSolid DemocraticSolid DemocraticSolid Democratic
Inside Elections with Nathan L. GonzalesSolid DemocraticSolid DemocraticSolid DemocraticSolid Democratic
Larry J. Sabato's Crystal BallSafe DemocraticSafe DemocraticSafe DemocraticSafe Democratic
Note: Ballotpedia updates external race ratings every week throughout the election season.

District analysis

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

The 2017 Cook Partisan Voter Index for this district was D+9, meaning that in the previous two presidential elections, this district's results were 9 percentage points more Democratic than the national average. This made Texas' 28th Congressional District the 126th most Democratic nationally.[42]

FiveThirtyEight's September 2018 elasticity score for states and congressional districts measured "how sensitive it is to changes in the national political environment." This district's elasticity score was 1.11. This means that for every 1 point the national political mood moved toward a party, the district was expected to move 1.11 points toward that party.[43]

Pivot Counties

See also: Pivot Counties by state

One of 254 Texas counties—0.4 percent—is a Pivot County. Pivot Counties are counties that voted for Barack Obama (D) in 2008 and 2012 and for Donald Trump (R) in 2016. Altogether, the nation had 206 Pivot Counties, with most being concentrated in upper midwestern and northeastern states.

Counties won by Trump in 2016 and Obama in 2012 and 2008
County Trump margin of victory in 2016 Obama margin of victory in 2012 Obama margin of victory in 2008
Jefferson County, Texas 0.48% 1.61% 2.25%

In the 2016 presidential election, Donald Trump (R) won Texas with 52.2 percent of the vote. Hillary Clinton (D) received 43.2 percent. In presidential elections between 1900 and 2016, Texas cast votes for the winning presidential candidate 66.7 percent of the time. In that same time frame, Texas supported Democratic candidates slightly more often than Republicans, 53.3 to 46.7 percent. The state, however, favored Republicans in every presidential election between 2000 and 2016.

Presidential results by legislative district

The following table details results of the 2012 and 2016 presidential elections by state House districts in Texas. Click [show] to expand the table. The "Obama," "Romney," "Clinton," and "Trump" columns describe the percent of the vote each presidential candidate received in the district. The "2012 Margin" and "2016 Margin" columns describe the margin of victory between the two presidential candidates in those years. The "Party Control" column notes which party held that seat heading into the 2018 general election. Data on the results of the 2012 and 2016 presidential elections broken down by state legislative districts was compiled by Daily Kos.[44][45]

In 2012, Barack Obama (D) won 54 out of 150 state House districts in Texas with an average margin of victory of 37.4 points. In 2016, Hillary Clinton (D) won 65 out of 150 state House districts in Texas with an average margin of victory of 36.4 points. Clinton won 10 districts controlled by Republicans heading into the 2018 elections.
In 2012, Mitt Romney (R) won 96 out of 150 state House districts in Texas with an average margin of victory of 36.2 points. In 2016, Donald Trump (R) won 85 out of 150 state House districts in Texas with an average margin of victory of 34.5 points.


District election history

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 https://s3.amazonaws.com/ballotpedia-api4/files/thumbs/100/100/Henry_Cuellar.jpg
Henry Cuellar (D)
 
84.4
 
117,494
Image of https://s3.amazonaws.com/ballotpedia-api4/files/thumbs/100/100/ArthurThomasIV.jpg
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 https://s3.amazonaws.com/ballotpedia-api4/files/thumbs/100/100/Henry_Cuellar.jpg
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.

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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.[46][47]

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

State profile

See also: Texas and Texas elections, 2019
USA Texas location map.svg

Partisan data

The information in this section was current as of January 22, 2020

Presidential voting pattern

Congressional delegation

State executives

State legislature

Texas Party Control: 1992-2024
Three years of Democratic trifectas  •  Twenty-two 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 23 24
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 R R
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Texas quick stats
  • Became a state in 1845
  • 28th state admitted to the United States
  • Texas was an independent republic from 1836 to 1845
  • Members of the Texas State Senate: 31
  • Members of the Texas House of Representatives: 150
  • U.S. senators: 2
  • U.S. representatives: 36
More Texas coverage on Ballotpedia:


Demographic data for Texas
 TexasU.S.
Total population:27,429,639316,515,021
Land area (sq mi):261,2323,531,905
Race and ethnicity**
White:74.9%73.6%
Black/African American:11.9%12.6%
Asian:4.2%5.1%
Native American:0.5%0.8%
Pacific Islander:0.1%0.2%
Two or more:2.5%3%
Hispanic/Latino:38.4%17.1%
Education
High school graduation rate:81.9%86.7%
College graduation rate:27.6%29.8%
Income
Median household income:$53,207$53,889
Persons below poverty level:19.9%11.3%
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, "American Community Survey" (5-year estimates 2010-2015)
Click here for more information on the 2020 census and here for more on its impact on the redistricting process in Texas.
**Note: Percentages for race and ethnicity may add up to more than 100 percent because respondents may report more than one race and the Hispanic/Latino ethnicity may be selected in conjunction with any race. Read more about race and ethnicity in the census here.


See also

External links

Footnotes

  1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 Henry Cuellar 2020 campaign website, "Track Record," accessed February 6, 2020
  2. ↑ Roll Call, "Texas Democrat Henry Cuellar gets primary challenger," June 13, 2019
  3. ↑ Vox, "Justice Democrats have a primary challenger for Rep. Henry Cuellar — their top target," June 13, 2019
  4. ↑ E&E News, "Is Texas Democrat the next Ocasio-Cortez?" February 6, 2020
  5. ↑ Politico, "'Green New Deal' Democrat aims for a Texas oil patch upset," March 3, 2020
  6. ↑ The Texas Tribune, "South Texas is known for its moderates. A primary challenge to U.S. Rep. Henry Cuellar could test that," November 21, 2019
  7. ↑ Candidate Connection surveys completed before September 26, 2019, were not used to generate candidate profiles. In battleground primaries, Ballotpedia based its selection of noteworthy candidates on polling, fundraising, and noteworthy endorsements. In battleground general elections, all major party candidates and any other candidates with the potential to impact the outcome of the race were included.
  8. ↑ Daily Kos, "Daily Kos endorses Marie Newman and Jessica Cisneros in key U.S. House primaries," November 18, 2019
  9. ↑ 9.0 9.1 The Texas Tribune, "Bernie Sanders endorses Jessica Cisneros, primary challenger to Henry Cuellar," January 29, 2020
  10. ↑ 10.0 10.1 10.2 Common Dreams, "Pelosi's Endorsement of Anti-Choice Henry Cuellar Over Progressive Jessica Cisneros Reveals Lack of Leadership, Justice Democrats Say," September 30, 2019
  11. ↑ 11.0 11.1 The Hill, "Pramila Jayapal endorses Democrat Henry Cuellar's primary challenger," February 6, 2020
  12. ↑ 12.0 12.1 12.2 12.3 12.4 12.5 12.6 NBC News, "Meet the Press Blog: Latest news, analysis and data driving the political discussion," February 6, 2020
  13. ↑ 13.0 13.1 KRGV, "Julián Castro endorses Jessica Cisneros, the candidate challenging U.S. Rep. Henry Cuellar," February 17, 2020
  14. ↑ 14.0 14.1 14.2 14.3 14.4 14.5 Twitter, "Daily Kos Elections on February 14, 2020," accessed February 17, 2020
  15. ↑ San Antonio Express-News, "Union protest targets Cuellar for vote against PRO Act," February 14, 2020
  16. ↑ 16.0 16.1 16.2 16.3 16.4 16.5 16.6 16.7 YouTube, "Henry Cuellar - Law Enforcement Endorsement," January 22, 2020
  17. ↑ 17.0 17.1 NBC News, "AOC announces new PAC, endorses slate of progressive candidates for Congress," February 21, 2020
  18. ↑ EMILY's List, "Our Candidates, accessed October 18, 2019
  19. ↑ Justice Democrats, "Candidates," accessed February 6, 2020
  20. ↑ 20.0 20.1 The Texas Tribune, "In a first, Koch political network endorses Cuellar," February 14, 2020
  21. ↑ Progressive Change Campaign Committee, "Our Candidates," accessed February 19, 2020
  22. ↑ Common Dreams, "'Debate Her': As Progressive Democratic Challenger Jessica Cisneros Racks Up Endorsements, Incumbent Henry Cuellar Pretends She Doesn't Exist," January 27, 2020
  23. ↑ 23.0 23.1 Twitter, "Henry Cuellar on February 13, 2020," accessed February 14, 2020
  24. ↑ 24.0 24.1 24.2 24.3 The Texas Tribune, "Outside money floods Cuellar primary, with U.S. Chamber of Commerce latest to join the fray," February 4, 2020
  25. ↑ 25.0 25.1 25.2 Note: This text is quoted verbatim from the original source. Any inconsistencies are attributable to the original source.
  26. ↑ Jessica Cisneros 2020 campaign website, "Issues," accessed February 6, 2020
  27. ↑ OpenSecrets.org, "Outside Spending," accessed September 22, 2015
  28. ↑ OpenSecrets.org, "Total Outside Spending by Election Cycle, All Groups," accessed September 22, 2015
  29. ↑ National Review.com, "Why the Media Hate Super PACs," November 6, 2015
  30. ↑ Twitter, "Patrick Svitek on February 21, 2020," accessed February 24, 2020
  31. ↑ Open Secrets, "National Assn of Realtors," accessed February 19, 2020
  32. ↑ Twitter, "Patrick Svitek on February 12, 2020," accessed February 21, 2020
  33. ↑ The Intercept, "In Final Weeks of Heated Texas Congressional Primary, Unions and Progressive Groups Throw $350,000 Behind Jessica Cisneros," February 17, 2020
  34. ↑ Fair Vote, "Congressional and Presidential Primaries: Open, Closed, Semi-Closed, and 'Top Two,'" accessed January 2, 2014
  35. ↑ Texas Statutes, "Section 172.086," accessed February 5, 2018
  36. ↑ Texas Legislature, "Chapter 172. Primary Elections," accessed July 10, 2020
  37. ↑ Texas Secretary of State, "Election Advisory No. 2020-05," February 11, 2020
  38. ↑ Inside Elections also uses Tilt ratings to indicate an even smaller advantage and greater competitiveness.
  39. ↑ Amee LaTour, "Email correspondence with Nathan Gonzalez," April 19, 2018
  40. ↑ Amee LaTour, "Email correspondence with Kyle Kondik," April 19, 2018
  41. ↑ Amee LaTour, "Email correspondence with Charlie Cook," April 22, 2018
  42. ↑ Cook Political Report, "Introducing the 2017 Cook Political Report Partisan Voter Index," April 7, 2017
  43. ↑ FiveThirtyEight, "Election Update: The Most (And Least) Elastic States And Districts," September 6, 2018
  44. ↑ Daily Kos, "Daily Kos Elections' statewide election results by congressional and legislative districts," July 9, 2013
  45. ↑ Daily Kos, "Daily Kos Elections' 2016 presidential results for congressional and legislative districts," February 6, 2017
  46. ↑ Texas Secretary of State, "2016 March Primary Election Candidate Filings by County," accessed December 15, 2015
  47. ↑ The New York Times, "Texas Primary Results," March 1, 2016


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