Incumbent Texas Democrat Rep. Henry Cuellar, challenged in one of the most watched and most expensive primary contests in the country, emerged victorious, beating back a left-wing challenge from Jessica Cisneros. The race was close; Cuellar ended up with just 51.8 percent of the vote to Cisneros’s 48.2 percent.

The Laredo lawmaker is one of the most conservative Democratic House members in the country, a record that attracted a spirited challenge from Cisneros, a 26-year-old attorney who waged an insurgent campaign that presented a sharp contrast with Cuellar. Cisneros touted support for Medicare for All, the Green New Deal, and opposition to draconian immigration enforcement measures.

Despite representing a relatively safe Democratic seat in south Texas, Cuellar votes consistently with the Republican Party. He sided with the GOP in some 75 percent of his recent votes, including on measures against expanding worker access to labor unions and in support of repealing restrictions on predatory lending. Cuellar previously served in the cabinet of Republican Gov. Rick Perry and has been outspoken in his defense of President Donald Trump on contentious issues, including the president’s decision to assassinate Iranian Maj. Gen. Qassim Suleimani.

Many in the press compared the race to the 2018 bid by Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez 2018 to unseat Rep. Joe Crowley, D-N.Y., the third-ranking House Democrat and one of the most business-friendly Democrats in leadership. Cisneros also had the endorsement of Ocasio-Cortez, as well as the backing of Justice Democrats.