'Our Community Isn't Done Fighting': Cisneros Calls for Recount in Texas
"With just under 0.6% of the vote symbolizing such stark differences for the future in South Texas, I owe it to our community to see this through to the end," said the progressive.
Though Democratic Congressman Henry Cuellar has already twice declared victory in Texas' 28th District, progressive primary challenger Jessica Cisneros announced Monday that she plans to formally request a recount for the May 24 runoff election.
"Our movement was never just about the one politician--it was about taking on an unjust system."
The race has long garnered national attention given how close Cisneros came to ousting Cuellar in 2020 and especially in the wake of a U.S. Supreme Court draft opinion suggesting the imminent reversal of Roe v. Wade, considering that he was the only House Democrat to vote against federal legislation to affirm abortion rights last year.
After the Texas Democratic Party officially canvassed the election results, Cuellar's lead rose to 281 votes over the immigration and human rights attorney, and he said that "she has no path to victory."
However, Cisneros made clear Monday that she is not conceding to the "17-year, corporate-backed, anti-choice incumbent."
"Our movement was never just about the one politician--it was about taking on an unjust system that rewards corruption and corporate profits at the expense of the needs of working people," Cisneros said.
"Our community isn't done fighting, we are filing for a recount," she declared. "With just under 0.6% of the vote symbolizing such stark differences for the future in South Texas, I owe it to our community to see this through to the end."
Supporters of Cisneros' second run include various progressive advocacy organizations and political figures, such as Sens. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) and Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.) along with Reps. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-N.Y.) and Jamaal Bowman (D-N.Y.).
Welcoming the development, Indivisible co-executive director Leah Greenberg said that "with our hearts still heavy as we mourn with the 21 families in Uvalde, we are more committed than ever to fighting, even when the odds are stacked against us. Fighting for compassion, for reason, for responsive leaders that keep all families safe. Jessica Cisneros is the embodiment of that spirit, and we are with her 100% in this last leg of her campaign."
"Once again, Jessica Cisneros's underdog campaign and the local activists who've supported it have brought one of corporate America's favorite Democrats to within a couple hundred votes. This is an incredible feat," she continued. "Jessica's fiercely voter-focused campaign sent the corporate Democratic machine into a frenzy. In the face of one of the nastiest, best-funded smear efforts this year, Jessica has held her head high, and been a model of compassionate, effective leadership."
"This race is not over. There are still hundreds of ballots to be tallied. It has not been called by any news organization because it's too close to call. The only person declaring this race over is Henry Cuellar, but we know that every last eligible vote needs to be counted first," Greenberg added. "Democrats need more leaders like Jessica Cisneros to help deliver true safety and security for all families. We want Jessica on the ballot in November in TX-28, and so should all Democrats."
This post has been updated with comment from Indivisible.
