EMILY’s List backs Cuellar’s challenger
EMILY’s List, an influential political group that backs Democratic female candidates who support abortion rights, on Tuesday endorsed Laredo attorney Jessica Cisneros in her Democratic primary challenge to U.S. Rep. Henry Cuellar.
The group is getting behind Cisneros for the second straight cycle, after it supported her against Cuellar in the 2020 Democratic primary. Cuellar, one of the few anti-abortion Democrats in Congress, defeated Cisneros by less than 4 percentage points last year.
The endorsement, though largely expected, will likely provide a major financial boost to Cisneros.
Texas Forward, a super PAC affiliated with EMILY’s List, last year spent more than $1.2 million to boost her candidacy, mostly on ads against Cuellar. The endorsement will also help Cisneros tap into EMILY’s
List’s network of Democratic donors.
In a statement, EMILY’s List president Laphonza Butler said Cisneros “has proven that she has what it takes to bring real change and opportunity to families in her community.”
“With abortion access and voting rights under assault in Texas, it is urgent that we elect congressional representatives who will fight back against these attacks,” Butler said. “Jessica Cisneros will fight for the expansion of reproductive rights and affordable health care, and will work to protect voting rights at the federal level.”
Cuellar, who also hails from Laredo, has represented Texas’ 28th Congressional District since 2005. The district runs from San Antonio to the Texas-Mexico border, with new boundaries drawn up by state lawmakers adding more of the San Antonio area to the district, while shifting part of Hidalgo County to a neighboring seat.
Republicans are targeting the 28th District after President Joe Biden carried it by just 4 percentage points in 2020. Under the new boundaries, Biden would have carried it by a more comfortable 7 percentage points.
“Jessica Cisneros will fight for the expansion of reproductive rights and affordable health care.”
EMILY’s List president Laphonza Butler