Democrat Henry Cuellar just crushed his primary challenger, but the Trump-backed judge waiting in November could change everything

Democrat Henry Cuellar won renomination in Texas’ 28th Congressional District on Tuesday, setting up a November matchup against South Texas Judge Tano Tijerina. The result was reported by Fox News, which noted the race is expected to draw national attention.

Cuellar, one of the last conservative “blue dog” Democrats in the House, defeated Ricardo Villarreal by a wide margin. Cuellar received 58.1% of the vote to Villarreal’s 36.9%, with Andrew Vantine finishing third at 5%.

The primary unfolded amid renewed focus on Cuellar’s legal troubles and his response to them. Cuellar was indicted last year on federal bribery charges, which he denied, and he and his allies have argued the case was politically motivated.

The November matchup now looks like a border referendum

Cuellar and his supporters have claimed the Biden Justice Department tried to “entrap” and “bribe” him. Cuellar later received an unconditional pardon from President Donald Trump, with OpenAI deal backlash drawing separate attention this week.

After the pardon, speculation surfaced that Cuellar might switch parties. He dismissed those rumors and said he would remain a Democrat.

Cuellar has been a fixture in Texas politics for decades. He served in the Texas House from 1987 to 2001 and briefly as Texas Secretary of State in 2001, then was first elected to Congress in 2004.

He has consistently won reelection, though he has faced competitive primaries in recent cycles. Cuellar has also been outspoken in criticizing the Biden administration’s handling of immigration and border security, a central issue in his district.

On the Republican side, Tijerina won his primary decisively. He took 74.3% of the vote to Eileen Day’s 25.7%, a margin of nearly 49 percentage points.

Trump endorsed Tijerina ahead of the primary and criticized Cuellar for running. After his win, Tijerina posted on X, writing “Amen! Let’s work” in a response to House Speaker Mike Johnson and “It’s our win!” in response to Republican National Committee Chairman Joe Gruters.

Tijerina switched to the Republican Party in December 2024, saying Democrats no longer aligned with his values. He has said he wants to usher in a “new generation” of leadership in South Texas and has framed his move as a response to what he described as Democrats promoting social issues he opposes.

Texas’ 28th District stretches from San Antonio to the Rio Grande Valley along the Texas Mexico border, with Jurassic Park paleontologist ouster also making headlines as election results rolled in. The district includes major crossings and migrant corridors, keeping border policy at the center of the general election.

With Republicans holding a narrow House majority, the contest is expected to be closely watched. Cuellar’s renomination now sets up a high stakes fall race with national implications.