WASHINGTON — Democratic Rep. Henry Cuellar fended off a primary challenge from Jessica Cisneros, a 26-year-old immigration attorney, in Texas’s 28th district, in a defeat for the progressive movement.

The Super Tuesday primary was tight; Decision Desk HQ ultimately called the race with Cuellar leading Cisneros, 52% to 48%.

Cisneros officially conceded Wednesday morning, saying in a statement, “This is just the beginning. The first thing we had to defeat was the culture of fear — and our movement was victorious in proving we're within striking distance of bringing fundamental change to South Texas.”



Cisneros was backed by Justice Democrats, the progressive group that helped propel Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez to victory two years ago. She was the first candidate the group recruited and endorsed this cycle.

Cuellar is one of the last anti-abortion Democrats in the House and had held the seat since 2005. He also maintains an A rating from the National Rifle Association, and Cisneros and her allies coined him “Trump’s favorite Democrat” after Cuellar voted with the president nearly 70% of the time during Trump’s first two years in office.

Cisneros worked as an intern in Cuellar’s office in 2014 before deciding to launch a campaign to unseat him last summer.

Cisneros spoke Tuesday night before the race was officially called, telling supporters, “I think one thing is clear, that our movement was victorious tonight... That’s because this fight has always been about an opportunity to prove how one of us, a brown girl from our community, with her whole community behind her, could take on an entire machine.”

Ahead of a planned interview with Cuellar last week, Colin Strother, a spokesperson for the campaign, said Cuellar would not answer any questions framed as responses to attacks Cisneros made on him during the primary.

“We’re not allowing a 26-year-old young lady who’s never done anything question the character of a dedicated public servant,” Strother said. (The campaign then canceled the interview half an hour before it was supposed to happen.)