House Speaker Mike Johnson campaigned in Texas on Thursday for the Republican challenger in a predominantly Hispanic battleground district.
“Y’all know it better than anybody. We have not had one release of an illegal into the country in over 16 straight months,” Mr. Johnson, Louisiana Republican, told a crowd in Laredo. “We also got back to American energy dominance, and that’s a big deal to Texas.”
Tano Tijerina, the Webb County Judge, is running against incumbent Democratic Rep. Henry Cuellar.
In Texas, a county judge has a policy-oriented administrative role, not a judicial one.
Mr. Tijerina switched his party affiliation from Democratic to Republican in December 2024, shortly after President Trump was the first Republican presidential candidate to win the county since 1912.
Mr. Cuellar, who describes himself as a “conservative Democrat,” has represented the district since 2005. He won by a 5.6% margin in 2024, when his district favored Mr. Trump.
Mr. Cuellar previously faced federal charges of having taken $600,000 in foreign bribes, but was pardoned by President Trump in December 2025.
Mr. Trump later expressed regret over the pardon after Mr. Cuellar filed for reelection as a Democrat.
At the Thursday rally, Mr. Tijerina argued Republicans can flip the district.
“If you’re questioning your thoughts on where we’re at, let me tell you something. Last cycle a Republican went 47 to 53% against Henry Cuellar,” he said. “All I’m asking you all to do is make sure that every single one of you multiply yourselves and get out the vote.”
In the November election, the district will have slightly different boundaries than it did in 2024, due to pro-Republican redistricting. The district no longer covers some of the San Antonio suburbs.
The race will also test whether Republicans can hold onto the major gains they made among Hispanic voters in 2024.
Mr. Johnson also praised Eric Flores, a Republican challenging incumbent Democratic Rep. Vicente Gonzalez in Texas’ 34th Congressional District, another South Texas district.
“We’ve got the right people at the right time,” he said. “They know the people. They know who they represent.”
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