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RandySF

(80,644 posts)
Wed Dec 3, 2025, 02:31 PM Dec 3

TX-28: Henry Cuellar will seek reelection as a Democrat after Trump pardon

Texas Rep. Henry Cuellar filed for reelection Wednesday as a Democrat and told reporters he had no intention to retire or switch parties hours after President Donald Trump announced pardons for him and his wife.

“It came as a surprise,” Cuellar told a small group of reporters about the pardon. “I want to thank President Trump for this. … Now we clear the air. Nothing has changed, and we’re going to be ready to win re-election again.”

Trump’s announcement of the pardons Wednesday morning immediately stoked speculation that the 11-term veteran might finally switch to the GOP after years of entreaties or simply retire — giving Republicans a much better chance to flip his competitive Rio Grande Valley seat.

But Cuellar quickly assured a small group of senior Democrats that he would not switch parties, according to two people granted anonymity to describe the private conversations. He also filed reelection paperwork with Texas state officials Wednesday.



https://www.politico.com/live-updates/2025/12/03/congress/henry-cuellar-pardon-reelection-party-00674518

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in2herbs

(4,126 posts)
10. Two or three election cycles ago Pelosi helped him get re-elected over the qualifications of female candidate. nt
Wed Dec 3, 2025, 05:02 PM
Dec 3

Celerity

(53,440 posts)
11. His district's never in history voted for a Rethug. We could've been done w/ him in 2020, 2022 but Pelosi etc stepped in
Fri Dec 5, 2025, 08:08 PM
Dec 5

and bigfooted a great Dem in Jessica Cisneros in both primaries (she barely lost both times). Cisneros did not even try in 2024 as many in Dem leadership, plus AIPAC, etc went all in on Cuellar, who, post-indictment, won the general with by far his smallest winning margin ever (and that was against a pretty weak Rethug opponent).





2020







2022









2024



UTUSN

(76,604 posts)
3. The label "Democratic" is *gone* if the holder is crooked.
Wed Dec 3, 2025, 02:46 PM
Dec 3

Yes, his voting has been almost all Dem and he was endorsed every time by the party hierarchy, but he had a hefty dose of Faux Propaganda Network appearances with tons of breaking with Dem admins mostly about Border stuff.

In recent elections he's had Progressive, young women contenders who are said would lose to the Wingnut MAGAt big ranch and oil bosses of the Border, Laredo TX district.

Big umbrella aside, crooks forfeit the Democratic label.


leftstreet

(38,695 posts)
6. I bet Jeffries campaigns for him!
Wed Dec 3, 2025, 03:27 PM
Dec 3
@atrupar
·3h
Jeffries claims the charges against Cueller were "very thin" and says Trump's pardon was "exactly the right outcome"



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