Sanford Nowlin (left) and Twitter / Jessica Cisneros (right)
The margin between U.S. Rep. Henry Cuellar (left) and Jessica Cisneros, his challenger in the May 24 Democratic Primary runoff, is just 136 votes.
Even after a final update of Bexar County ballots, the longtime Laredo congressman leads Cisneros, an immigration and civil rights attorney, by just 136 votes, according to the AP. The wire service said it won't declare a winner until a recount is complete.
Cuellar has faced a recent series of close scrapes hanging onto his blue-leaning district, which stretches from Laredo to a portion of East San Antonio.
Cisneros came within four percentage points of ousting the longtime congressman in 2020's Democratic primary. During the primary this March, she forced a runoff by coming within 1,000 points of her rival.
The highly watched race pits Cisneros — who drew the backing of top progressives including U.S. Sens. Bernie Sanders and Elizabeth Warren — against Cuellar, a rare anti-abortion Democrat with a seat on the powerful House Ways and Means Committee.
Cuellar also went into this year's primary with the baggage an FBI raid on his home and office. The congressman has denied wrongdoing, although the investigation centers around influence peddling by the former Soviet republic of Azerbaijan, with which the congressman has ties.
The runoff between Cuellar and Cisneros doesn’t qualify for an automatic recount, according to the AP. However, Cisneros has the option of paying for one, it noted.
In recent tweets, the progressive candidate urged voters to reach out to the Texas Secretary of State to ensure their mail-in ballots were counted.
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