- Rep. Henry Cuellar is running against Republican Cassy Garcia in Texas' 28th Congressional District.
- The 28th District is located along Texas' border with Mexico.
- A win for Garcia would be a major pickup for the Republican Party, which has been vying to appeal to more Hispanic voters in the region.
Longtime Democratic Rep. Henry Cuellar faces off against Republican Cassy Garcia in Texas' 28th Congressional District.
Texas' 28th Congressional District candidates
Cuellar is a member of the House Appropriations Committee and is one of the most conservative members of the House Democratic caucus. He's represented the majority-Hispanic district since 2005 and has advocated for strict border policies, is a staunch defender of 2nd Amendment gun rights, and is the last member of the House Democratic caucus to be openly against abortion rights.
Cuellar narrowly defeated progressive Jessica Cisneros in the district's Democratic primary — doing so by less than 300 votes after House Democratic leadership rallied around him in a runoff.
Garcia is one of several Hispanic conservative women running for office in 2022 and is a former state director for US Sen. Ted Cruz's office.
Garcia won the Republican nomination among a crowded slate of GOP candidates, ultimately defeating challenger Sandra Whitten in a runoff election.
A victory for Garcia in November would be a major pickup for the Republican Party, which has been increasing its attention on appealing to Hispanic voters in Democratic districts.
Voting history for Texas' 28th Congressional District
Texas' 28th Congressional District encompasses a section of the U.S.-Mexico border and stretches to the easternmost outer regions of San Antonio, the state's second-most populous city behind Houston.
The district, which backed President Joe Biden by about 5 percentage points under its previous boundaries in 2020, was redrawn to take in more of the San Antonio area in redistricting following the 2020 Census, making it slightly more Democratic.
The money race
According to OpenSecrets, Cuellar has raised $4.3 million, spent $5 million, and has $836,143 of cash on hand, as of September 30. His opponent, Garcia, has raised $2.4 million, spent $2 million, and has $386,963 of cash still left to spend, as of September 30.
Through mid-October, the race — including primaries — has attracted about $17 million in additional spending by super PACs, national party committees, and other non-candidate groups aiming to affect the outcome. Such a level of outside spending falls on the high end of US House races in 2022.
What experts say
The race between Cuellar and Garcia is rated as "lean Democratic" by Inside Elections, "lean Democratic" by The Cook Political Report, and a "toss-up" by Sabato's Crystal Ball at the University of Virginia Center for Politics.