FBI raid of South Texas congressman adds another element to a tough primary challenge – By Sofia Sanchez (NPR) / February 19, 2022
In his hometown of Laredo, Texas, Rep. Henry Cuellar is deep-seated. He’s been in office since 2005 and even has an elementary school named after him.
But the nine-term Democratic congressman faces a stiff challenge in the state’s March 1 primary from Jessica Cisneros, a 28-year-old progressive.
The race was already on the political radar for Democrats and for Republicans, who see the South Texas congressional district as a potential pickup opportunity, when an FBI raid of Cuellar’s home and office last month added another element to the contest. He has denied wrongdoing.
Cisneros — an immigration attorney who is also a Laredo native and who narrowly lost to Cuellar two years ago — is running again with the backing of progressives Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez and Sens. Bernie Sanders and Elizabeth Warren.
