Texas Border Business
By Texas Border Business
LAREDO, Texas — Democratic U.S. Rep. Henry Cuellar defeated Republican Tano Tijerina in Texas’ 28th Congressional District on November 3, 2026, weeks after making remarks at a Rio Grande Valley infrastructure summit that suggested confidence about his political future.
According to preliminary results reported by the Associated Press, Cuellar received 112,930 votes, representing 65.8%, compared with 50,867 votes, or 29.6%, for Tijerina.
Green Party candidate Marlón Durán received 7,904 votes, representing 4.6%. The Associated Press declared Cuellar the winner, with approximately 92.5% of precincts reporting.
Cuellar’s victory followed an October 20 appearance at the Rio Grande Valley Partnership’s infrastructure summit at the Mission Event Center, where he presented a ceremonial check representing $1,649,327,476 in secured federal transportation funding for Hidalgo County.
Texas Border Business covered the event, which brought together regional leaders to discuss transportation investments and infrastructure priorities.
During his remarks, Cuellar referred to the approaching November election and the possibility of changes in congressional leadership.
“After November, everything turns out the way I think we are seeing, there’ll be a change in the House,” Cuellar said.
His statement referred to the possibility of Democrats gaining control of the U.S. House of Representatives, rather than an explicit prediction about his own reelection.
However, the remarks also reflected his expectations about the political environment following the election and the potential implications for his congressional responsibilities.
Cuellar discussed the possibility of assuming a leadership position on a congressional appropriations subcommittee if Democrats secured control of the House.
The infrastructure announcement also gave Cuellar another opportunity to discuss federal investments affecting South Texas communities.
The $1.649 billion presented at the Mission event represented transportation funding already secured for Hidalgo County, rather than a new funding commitment made that day.
Cuellar has represented Texas’ 28th Congressional District since 2005. The district includes Laredo and extends into other South Texas communities.
Tijerina, the Webb County judge, entered the congressional contest as a Republican after switching parties in December 2024.
His campaign received support from prominent Republicans, including President Donald Trump, Gov. Greg Abbott, and U.S. Sen. Ted Cruz.
The congressional district had also undergone redistricting before the 2026 election, creating a different political landscape for the candidates.
Despite those changes, Cuellar maintained a substantial advantage in the reported vote totals.
The margin between Cuellar and Tijerina was 62,063 votes, or approximately 36.2 percentage points, based on the preliminary Associated Press figures.
The election result allows Cuellar to continue representing District 28 when the next congressional term begins in January 2027.
The November 3 results remain unofficial until election authorities complete the vote count and certification.
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