Jessica Cisneros is running for Congress in south Texas.
To win, she must first beat the Democratic Party incumbent, Rep. Henry Cuellar, in the primary election. Cuellar has been called “Trump’s favorite Democrat,” and he has an A-rating from the NRA. The Democrat in-name-only voted with Trump 67 percent of the time in the 115th Congress, the second-highest score for a House Democrat, according to CQ Vote Watch.
In other words, the Congressman is vulnerable.
The Progressive Alternative
Cisneros, 26, was born and raised in Laredo, Texas. She studied government and Latin American Studies at the University of Texas at Austin and received her law degree from the University of Texas Law School, where she specialized in immigration law.
Today, in her work as a lawyer, Cisneros is reminded every day of what she learned as a child: the rules of the game are not fair for most Americans.
Cisneros is backed by Justice Democrats, the progressive advocacy group that recruited Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez in her successful primary bid to represent New York’s 14th congressional district. Cisneros’ platform reflects Justice Democrats’ core values, which have become emblematic of the progressive left.
Texas 28, Primary Battleground
Stretching along the southern border with Mexico and reaching north into San Antonio, Texas’ 28th District has been in Democratic hands since it was first drawn in 1993. Cuellar has held the seat since 2005.
According to Roll Call, South Texas is one of the most oil-rich areas in the U.S., and Cuellar has enthusiastically supported continued drilling in his district to prevent job losses.
Democratic consultant Christian Archer said he believes the Justice Democrats have misunderstood this congressional district.
“(Justice Democrats) probably don’t know Laredo. … These are farmers and ranchers and people who grew up carrying a gun,” Archer said.
Justice Democrats don’t need to know the district because Cisneros knows the district and more importantly, she knows the people in it.
The primary election in Texas is the same day as Super Tuesday, March 3, 2020.
