Take Action Texas

Hold: TX-28 (Cuellar); Flip: TX-34 (Gonzalez)

The Princeton Gerrymandering Project assigned Texas an overall grade of F for its redistricting maps. Texas got an F for both partisan fairness and geographic features. This leaves only two Congressional Districts that are worth our attention: TX-28, which is rated D+3; and TX-34, which is D+9. U.S. Rep. Henry Cuellar is running for re-election to a seventh term in the 28th district. As one of eight children born to migrant farm workers in Laredo, Cuellar’s central issue is strengthening the chances of achieving the America Dream. He voted for the American Rescue Plan, the For the People Act, and the Equality Act. Cuellar is running against Republican Cassandra Garcia, former deputy state director for U.S. Senator Ted Cruz and DJT appointee to the Commission for the White House Hispanic Prosperity Initiative. On her website, she says she is ““pro God, pro-family and pro-life,” and opposes federal funds for abortions.

While Cuellar raised almost five times the amount of his Republican opponent, he spent heavily in a hotly contested primary. But the good news is that the latest Cook Political Report rating upgraded TX-28 from Tossup to Lean D. The new TX-34 is a merged seat now sought by U.S. Rep. Vicente Gonzalez Jr., the Democrat who currently represents TX-15. Gonzalez won his first election in 2016 by 19 points and increased his margin in 2018 to more than 20 points. In2020, his margin slipped to less than 3 points. Redistricting moved Gonzalez’s north McAllen home from the 15th to the 34th. This change was a good move for Gonzalez, as the 34th is more Democratic, rated Lean D, while his old district, the 15th, is rated Even. Gonzalez will face Rep. Mayra Flores, who was elected in a June special election to represent the 34th. (Gonzalez did not run in the special election). Flores’ campaign website proclaims she is proud to be “pro-God,” “pro-life,” “pro-Second Amendment,” and “pro-Oil and Gas.”