American politician (born 1993)
Jessica Cisneros (born May 24, 1993)
[1] is an American attorney and a former
Democratic candidate for
Texas's 28th congressional district in 2020 and 2022.
[2]
[3]
Early life and education
Cisneros was born and raised in
Laredo, Texas .
[4]
[5] Before she was born, her parents emigrated from
Mexico to seek medical care for her older sister.
[4]
[5]
[1] Her parents became United States citizens under the
Immigration Reform and Control Act of 1986 .
[6]
Cisneros was the valedictorian of her graduating class at
Early College High School .
[4] She earned a
Bachelor of Arts from the
University of Texas at Austin and a
Juris Doctor from the
University of Texas School of Law .
[1]
[7] Her focus during law school included immigration law.
[1] In 2014, while a student at the University of Texas, she worked as an intern in the
Washington, D.C. office of Congressman
Henry Cuellar , after developing an interest in immigration law reform.
[8]
[1]
[9]
Career
After graduating from law school, Cisneros worked as an attorney, including at Brooklyn Defender Services with a focus on immigration law.
[10] Her law practice has included advocacy for clients seeking
asylum .
[11] Cisneros entered politics after she was proposed by Laredo community leaders in response to a local newspaper advertisement by the
Justice Democrats seeking candidates for political office.
[11] After the 2020 election, she worked as an attorney in the Laredo office of
Texas RioGrande Legal Aid and became a supervising attorney at
RAICES in Laredo, a legal aid organization for immigrants.
[12]
2020 U.S. House of Representatives election
In 2020, Cisneros was a Democratic candidate for the
U.S. House of Representatives in
Texas's 28th congressional district against
Henry Cuellar , the incumbent since 2005. If elected, Cisneros would have been the youngest woman elected to Congress.
[13] During her campaign, she promoted progressive policies such as
single-payer healthcare and raising the
federal minimum wage to
$15 per hour .
[14] She also criticized Cuellar's voting record as too conservative, noting in particular his views on abortion rights and his campaign donations from the
private prison industry , especially in light of the controversial
migrant detention facilities operated at the border by the Trump administration.
[9] She was endorsed by
progressive groups
Brand New Congress and
Justice Democrats .
[15]
[14]
[16] Cisneros lost to Cuellar in the March 2020 primary by 1700 votes.
[17]
[18]
2022 U.S. House of Representatives election
In August 2021, Cisneros announced she would challenge Cuellar in the 2022 Democratic primary,
[19]
[20]
[21]
[22] and faced Cuellar in the primary on March 1, 2022.
[2]
[23] Cisneros continued to campaign on economic issues and access to health care.
[6] She was endorsed again by the
Justice Democrats , U.S. Senators
Bernie Sanders and
Elizabeth Warren , and the
abortion rights advocacy groups
NARAL Pro-Choice America and
EMILY's List .
[24]
[25]
[26]
[27] She was also supported by labor unions, the Texas
AFL–CIO , the
Latino Victory Fund , and Rep.
Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez .
[24] After the March 1 primary, Cuellar led in the results, but with less than fifty percent of the primary vote, so Cisneros and Cuellar competed in a runoff on May 24.
[24]
[1]
[28]
On May 2,
Politico published a leaked draft majority opinion written by
U.S. Supreme Court justice
Samuel Alito to overturn
Roe v. Wade and
Planned Parenthood v. Casey .
[29] Before the draft opinion was leaked, NARAL Pro-Choice America announced further support for her campaign, including advertising and organizing efforts.
[27]
[30] On May 4, Cisneros released a statement calling on Democratic Party leadership to withdraw their support from Cuellar.
[27]
[25]
[29] On May 4, House Speaker
Nancy Pelosi and House Majority Whip
Jim Clyburn continued to express support for Cuellar,
[31]
[32] and Pelosi continued to do so on May 12,
[33] and recorded robocalls supporting Cuellar.
[29] According to
Federal Election Commission reports released in May 2022, Cisneros raised $1.2 million between April 1 and May 4, while Cuellar raised $352,000 during the same time period,
[34] with a total of $4.5 million raised by Cisneros and $3.1 million by Cuellar.
[35] On May 13, Women Vote!, the
super PAC affiliated with EMILY's List, purchased $526,000 in ads to support Cisneros, and EMILY's List president Laphonza Butler made a statement criticizing Cuellar's views on abortion.
[34] On May 19, Rep.
Pramila Jayapal endorsed Cisneros, stating "we must elect pro-choice candidates".
[36]
[37]
On June 3, the May 24 primary runoff count concluded with Cuellar holding a lead by 281 votes.
[38] On June 7, the race remained uncalled by the
Associated Press and
CBS News , and Cisneros filed a recount petition.
[39]
[40]
[24] In 2004, when a 145-vote deficit for Cuellar led to a recount and resulted in a Cuellar win, Cuellar stated, "Until every eligible vote is accurately counted, the voters cannot be certain of the outcome of this election"; in 2022, Cisneros stated, "With just under 0.6 percent 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."
[41] On June 21, after the recount concluded, the Associated Press called the race for Cuellar based on his 289-vote lead,
[17]
[11] and Cisneros conceded the race.
[42]
Electoral history
References
^
a
b
c
d
e
f Alfaro, Mariana (March 2, 2022).
"Meet Jessica Cisneros, the 28-year-old immigration lawyer who forced a veteran Democrat into a runoff in Texas" .
The Washington Post . Retrieved March 2, 2022 .
^
a
b Ferris, Sarah (February 23, 2022).
"The left's South Texas star isn't the progressive they warned you about" .
Politico . Retrieved February 25, 2022 .
^
"Jessica Cisneros Takes on the Last Anti-Abortion U.S. House Democrat" .
The 19th . February 25, 2022. Retrieved February 25, 2022 .
^
a
b
c Medina, Jennifer (March 2, 2022).
"The Young Progressive Lawyer at the Center of a Marquee Texas Runoff" .
The New York Times . Retrieved March 3, 2022 .
^
a
b Murphy, Tim (January 2020).
"This 26-year-old Texan could be the next AOC. (But don't tell her that.)" .
Mother Jones . Retrieved January 4, 2022 .
^
a
b Gamboa, Suzanne (March 2, 2022).
"A young Latina, Jessica Cisneros, takes on a conservative congressional Democrat in Texas" .
NBC News . Retrieved May 14, 2022 .
^
"Jessica Cisneros" . Forbes . Retrieved January 4, 2022 .
^ Del Valle, Gaby (April 27, 2022).
"Jessica Cisneros on Texas Politics, Abortion Access, and Running for Congress" .
Teen Vogue . Retrieved June 22, 2022 .
^
a
b Baird, Addy (March 2, 2020).
"She used to be his intern. Now she's trying to kick him out of office" .
BuzzFeed News . Retrieved January 4, 2022 .
^ Read, Bridget (June 13, 2019).
"Is Jessica Cisneros the Next Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez?" .
Vogue . Retrieved March 2, 2022 .
^
a
b
c Ulloa, Jazmine (June 21, 2022).
"Cuellar Defeats Cisneros in South Texas Primary Runoff, Recount Shows" .
The New York Times . Retrieved June 22, 2022 .
^ Marans, Daniel (August 5, 2021).
"Jessica Cisneros Announces Rematch Run Against Texas Rep. Henry Cuellar" .
HuffPost . Retrieved July 1, 2022 .
^ Truong, Kimberly (March 4, 2020).
"Jessica Cisneros Lost Her Race At 26 — But Her Campaign Still Matters" .
InStyle . Retrieved July 6, 2022 .
^
a
b Godfrey, Elaine (October 12, 2019).
"The Search for the Next AOC" .
The Atlantic . Retrieved January 4, 2022 .
^ Carroll, Susan J.; Fox, Richard L.; Dittmar, Kelly (December 9, 2021).
Gender and Elections: Shaping the Future of American Politics . Cambridge University Press.
ISBN
978-1-316-51147-3 .
^ Medina, Jennifer (July 3, 2019).
"Jessica Cisneros on challenging an incumbent Democrat: 'There's a lot he has never had to justify' " .
The New York Times .
ISSN
0362-4331 . Retrieved January 4, 2022 .
^
a
b Alfaro, Mariana (June 21, 2022).
"Henry Cuellar defeats Jessica Cisneros in contentious Texas primary race" .
The Washington Post . Retrieved June 21, 2022 .
^ Fang, Lee (March 4, 2020).
"Jessica Cisneros, a progressive favorite, loses to incumbent Henry Cuellar" .
The Intercept . Retrieved January 4, 2022 .
^ King, Maya (August 5, 2021).
"Jessica Cisneros launches primary rematch against Rep. Henry Cuellar" .
Politico . Retrieved February 28, 2022 .
^ Joselow, Maxine (November 29, 2021).
"Another Texas House primary showdown is coming, and it's all about climate policy and Big Oil donations" .
The Washington Post .
ISSN
0190-8286 . Retrieved January 4, 2022 .
^ Chávez, Aída (December 7, 2021).
"Jessica Cisneros is the future of the Democratic Party" .
The Nation .
ISSN
0027-8378 . Retrieved January 4, 2022 .
^ Geer, John G.; Herrera, Richard; Schiller, Wendy J.; Segal, Jeffrey A. (January 1, 2021).
Gateways to Democracy: An Introduction to American Government . Cengage Learning.
ISBN
978-0-357-45933-1 .
^ Weisman, Jonathan (February 25, 2022).
"After Trump surge, a liberal Democrat in south Texas shifts tactics" .
The New York Times .
ISSN
0362-4331 . Retrieved February 25, 2022 .
^
a
b
c
d Sonmez, Felicia; Sotomayor, Marianna; Alfaro, Mariana (May 25, 2022).
"Rep. Henry Cuellar, Jessica Cisneros locked in tight battle in Texas" .
The Washington Post . Retrieved May 26, 2022 .
^
a
b Shabad, Rebecca; Haake, Garrett; Talbot, Haley (May 4, 2022).
"Rep. Cuellar attacked on his anti-abortion stance by opponent Cisneros in Texas Democratic run-off" .
NBC News . Retrieved May 5, 2022 .
^ Livingston, Abby (February 24, 2022).
"Will an FBI raid boost Laredo progressive Jessica Cisneros' bid to unseat U.S. Rep. Henry Cuellar?" .
The Texas Tribune . Retrieved February 25, 2022 .
^
a
b
c Martinez, Marissa (May 4, 2022).
"Cisneros calls out House Democratic leadership for supporting anti-abortion Cuellar" .
Politico . Retrieved May 5, 2022 .
^
Texas 28th Congressional District Primary Election Results ,
New York Times , March 1, 2022. Retrieved March 2, 2022.
^
a
b
c Voght, Kara (May 24, 2022).
"Want to Know What Politics Looks Like After Roe? Look at Texas' Primary" .
Rolling Stone . Retrieved July 6, 2022 .
^ Manchester, Julie (May 5, 2022).
"Supreme Court leak throws curve into pivotal Texas primary" .
The Hill . Retrieved May 14, 2022 .
^ Weber, Paul J. (May 4, 2022).
"House leaders stick with Rep. Cuellar despite abortion stand" .
Associated Press .
^
"Campaigning for Henry Cuellar, a Democratic U.S. House leader says party shouldn't shun abortion opponents" .
The Texas Tribune . May 4, 2022.
^ Vaillancourt, William (May 12, 2022).
"Nancy Pelosi Says Anti-Choice Democrats Are Fine as Long as … Their Votes Don't Matter" .
Rolling Stone . Retrieved May 14, 2022 .
^
a
b Mutnick, Ally (May 13, 2022).
"EMILY's List goes on air against Cuellar in Texas primary battle" . Politico . Retrieved May 14, 2022 .
^ Livingston, Abby (May 17, 2022).
"In rematch, Jessica Cisneros faces a weakened Henry Cuellar for South Texas congressional seat" .
The Texas Tribune . Retrieved May 19, 2022 .
^ Manchester, Julie (May 19, 2022).
"Jayapal endorses Cisneros in Cuellar primary challenge" .
The Hill . Retrieved May 19, 2022 .
^ Wu, Nicholas (May 19, 2022).
"Pramila Jayapal endorses Jessica Cisneros in Texas runoff" .
Politico . Retrieved May 19, 2022 .
^ Santana, Steven (June 3, 2022).
"Rep. Henry Cuellar claims nomination over Cisneros, but may face recount" .
San Francisco Chronicle . Retrieved June 4, 2022 .
^ Paybarah, Azi (June 6, 2022).
"In South Texas, Jessica Cisneros calls for a recount in her primary runoff against Representative Henry Cuellar" .
The New York Times . Retrieved June 7, 2022 .
^ Navarro, Aaron (June 7, 2022).
"Jessica Cisneros files for recount in race against Rep. Henry Cuellar in Texas' 28th District" .
CBS News . Retrieved June 8, 2022 .
^ Herrera, Jack (June 10, 2022).
"When It Comes to Recounts, It's Not Henry Cuellar's First Rodeo" .
Texas Monthly . Retrieved June 10, 2022 .
^ Richards, Zoë (June 21, 2022).
"Jessica Cisneros concedes to Rep. Cuellar in Texas primary runoff after recount" .
NBC News . Retrieved June 22, 2022 .
^
"Election results (2020 U.S. House Democratic primary in Texas's 28th district)" . Our Campaigns . March 3, 2020.
Archived from the original on November 28, 2021. Retrieved February 25, 2022 .
^ Livingston, Abby (March 2, 2022).
"Henry Cuellar, Jessica Cisneros head to runoff for South Texas congressional seat" . Texas Tribune . Retrieved March 2, 2022 .
^
"Texas Election Results (2022 U.S. House Democratic primary in Texas's 28th district)" . Texas Secretary of State . March 3, 2022. Retrieved June 8, 2022 .
^
"Texas Democratic Party Announces Unofficial Results of Recount in CD-28 Primary" . June 21, 2022. Retrieved June 22, 2022 .
External links