AUSTIN, Texas (AP) — Democratic Rep. Henry Cuellar of Texas faced his first election Tuesday since his indictment on bribery charges , one of three closely watched races along the U.S.
-Mexico border where Republicans are trying to widen inroads in the predominately Hispanic region. The election is another test for Democrats in a region that has historically been a stronghold and is a recurring backdrop in the national debate over immigration. Cuellar and his wife have pleaded not guilty to charges related to the couple's ties to the former Soviet republic of Azerbaijan.
Republicans mounted an aggressive campaign in 2022 to oust Cuellar, one of his party's most outspoken moderates, but lost by double digits and pulled back in the district this year despite the indictment. The border House districts are a competitive outlier in Texas, where Republicans have full control of the Legislature and a Democrat has not occupied a statewide office for more than 30 years. Cuellar is running against Republican Jay Furman, a political newcomer and Navy veteran who is the incumbent’s first challenger since being indicted on bribery charges in May.
Cuellar and his wife are accused of accepting nearly $600,000 in bribes from an Azerbaijan-controlled energy company and a bank in Mexico. The charges have given Furman room to make his case in the 28th Congressional District, where Cuellar first took office in 2005. However, the seat has drawn less attention this cycle from the GOP than in 20.
