(Reuters) – Progressive Jessica Cisneros on Monday requested a recount in her race against U.S. Representative Henry Cuellar, a moderate Texas Democrat who opposes abortion rights, after trailing him by fewer than 300 votes in last month’s primary runoff election.
Cisneros, 29, had forced a runoff with Cuellar in the March primary in a district that includes Laredo near the Texas border with Mexico, but ultimately trailed him. It was the third matchup between the two Democrats.
“Our movement was never just about one politician – it was about taking on an unjust system that regards corruption and corporate profits at the expense of the needs of working people,” Cisneros said in a statement first posted by the Texas Tribune and then retweeted by the candidate. “Our community isn’t done fighting, we are filing for a recount.”
Cuellar, 66, is the lone House Democrat to oppose abortion rights, and abortion-rights groups have spent at least $160,000 to bolster Cisneros’ campaign.
The race took on new urgency in recent weeks after a leaked U.S. Supreme Court draft opinion indicated that a majority of the nine justices were set to overturn the landmark 1973 Roe v. Wade ruling that legalized abortion nationwide.
Cuellar, who did not immediately respond to a request for comment, has said that Cisneros would risk public safety and hurt the local economy by cutting law enforcement funding in a district where many voters work for border patrol agencies.
Cisneros has since distanced herself from her previous call to eliminate U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement.
Political analysts have said that a Cisneros win could threaten Democrats’ chances to hold the seat in the Nov. 8 general election, when Republicans hope to win control of the House of Representatives.
(Reporting by Sharon Bernstein; Editing by Leslie Adler)
