Texas recount underway between Texas Rep. Cuellar, Cisneros

LAREDO, Texas (AP) — A recount was underway Thursday in a Texas primary race between Democratic U.S. Rep. Henry Cuellar and progressive challenger Jessica Cisneros following their tight runoff in May.

Before the recount, Cuellar had been leading Cisneros by 187 votes, or 0.4 percentage points, out of 45,429 ballots counted as of last week, according to an Associated Press count. The AP will not declare a winner until the recount is completed.

It was not clear Thursday when the recount would be finished.

The recount was requested by Cisneros, a 29-year-old immigration attorney who is trying to unseat the nine-term South Texas congressman for the second time in as many years. She lost by 4 percentage points in 2020 behind national support from the party’s progressive leaders, including Sens. Bernie Sanders of Vermont and Elizabeth Warren of Massachusetts.

Cuellar has said his lead will hold in Texas’ 28th Congressional District, which is heavily Hispanic and runs to the southern border with Mexico. He has bucked his party for years over issues including abortion and gun rights but has kept the support of Democratic leaders in Congress, including House Speaker Nancy Pelosi.

The winner of will face Cassy Garcia, who won the Republican runoff for the seat in May.