House Candidates Endorsed by Bend the Arc's Pac Win, Force Runoff in Texas Primaries

Bend the Arc Jewish Action PAC is celebrating positive results for two progressive candidates in Texas' competitive Democratic primary races who were endorsed by the political action committee.

Greg Casar (TX-35) - a 32-year-old Austin City Council Member, movement organizer, and proud son of Mexican immigrants - won the Democratic primary for an open seat in his solid-blue district. And Jessica Cisneros (TX-28) - a 28-year-old human rights lawyer and proud daughter of Mexican immigrants - forced a runoff with incumbent Rep. Henry Cuellar, one of the most conservative Democrats in Congress.

Bend the Arc Jewish Action PAC's endorsement of Cisneros and Casar represent the first time the PAC has endorsed primary challengers in competitive races.

"Electing progressive champions like Jessica Cisneros and Greg Casar to Congress is critical to our movement's ability to win the policies we're fighting for," said Bend the Arc Jewish Action PAC Director Derek Pugh. "Jessica and Greg share our moral imperative to fight for a more equitable country free from white supremacy, antisemitism, and other forms of oppression, where all people are able to thrive. They're the kind of leaders we need in Congress fighting for and alongside us in the halls of power."

Cisneros is a fierce advocate for expanding health care access, empowering workers to organize and bargain collectively, and building a more humane and equitable immigration system. While on the Austin City Council, Casar passed policies to protect families from being separated, raise wages, and provide paid sick leave for thousands of workers, and successfully fought for the largest affordable housing elections in the South.

PAC leadership plans to make additional endorsements throughout the 2022 midterm elections.

"Bend the Arc Jewish Action PAC is fighting to preserve Democratic majorities in Congress and build a deeper bench of progressive champions," said PAC Director Derek Pugh. "That will only be possible with people like Jessica Cisneros and Greg Casar on the ballot in November, and we're proud to support them."

Of the 42 Jewish-identified federal political action committees, Bend the Arc Jewish Action PAC is the first and only one to advocate exclusively for the progressive domestic policies which the American Jewish community has cared deeply about for generations. In 2020, the PAC raised over $1 million for 60 federal candidates.