Texas runoff between last anti-abortion House Democrat and progressive challenger still too close to call


It's a nail-biter in Texas.
The Tuesday runoff contest between longtime incumbent Rep. Henry Cuellar (D-Texas) and progressive challenger Jessica Cisneros in Texas' 28th District is still too close to call as of Wednesday morning, NPR reports.
The more conservative Cuellar has held the seat since 2005, and boasts backing from a number of top House Democrats, including Speaker Nancy Pelosi (Calif.). But Cisneros is endorsed by multiple prominent progressives, including Sens. Bernie Sanders (Vt.) and Elizabeth Warren (Mass.), and Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (N.Y.).
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.

Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
As of roughly 11:30 a.m. on Wednesday, the two candidates were separated by just 175 votes, with Cuellar in the lead. Despite such a narrow margin, Cuellar declared victory Tuesday night — though Cisneros declined to concede defeat. Mail-in ballots can still be counted until 5 p.m. on Wednesday, so more might come in, Forbes notes. Cisneros can also request a recount given the closeness of the race.
Important to note in the contest is the underlying issue of abortion rights, given Cuellar's status as the last anti-abortion Democrat, and the recent leak of a Supreme Court draft opinion poised to overturn Roe v. Wade.
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
Brigid Kennedy worked at The Week from 2021 to 2023 as a staff writer, junior editor and then story editor, with an interest in U.S. politics, the economy and the music industry.
-
AI is creating a luxury housing renaissance in San Francisco
Under the Radar Luxury homes in the city can range from $7 million to above $20 million
-
How carbon credits could help and hurt the climate
The explainer The credits could be allowing polluters to continue polluting
-
5 tips for building a healthy skincare routine for tweens and teens
The Week Recommends Social media is pushing overly elaborate routines for young skin
-
The last words and final moments of 40 presidents
The Explainer Some are eloquent quotes worthy of the holders of the highest office in the nation, and others... aren't
-
Senate advances GOP bill that costs more, cuts more
Speed Read The bill would make giant cuts to Medicaid and food stamps, leaving 11.8 million fewer people with health coverage
-
Canadian man dies in ICE custody
Speed Read A Canadian citizen with permanent US residency died at a federal detention center in Miami
-
GOP races to revise megabill after Senate rulings
Speed Read A Senate parliamentarian ruled that several changes to Medicaid included in Trump's "One Big Beautiful Bill" were not permissible
-
Supreme Court lets states ax Planned Parenthood funds
Speed Read The court ruled that Planned Parenthood cannot sue South Carolina over the state's effort to deny it funding
-
Trump plans Iran talks, insists nuke threat gone
Speed Read 'The war is done' and 'we destroyed the nuclear,' said President Trump
-
Trump embraces NATO after budget vow, charm offensive
Speed Read The president reversed course on his longstanding skepticism of the trans-Atlantic military alliance
-
Trump judge pick told DOJ to defy courts, lawyer says
Speed Read Emil Bove, a top Justice Department official nominated by Trump for a lifetime seat, stands accused of encouraging government lawyers to mislead the courts and defy judicial orders