Henry Cuellar | |
|---|---|
 Official portrait, 2017 | |
| Member of the U.S. House of Representatives from Texas's 28th district | |
| Assumed office January 3, 2005 | |
| Preceded by | Ciro Rodriguez |
| 102nd Secretary of State of Texas | |
| In office January 2, 2001 – October 5, 2001 | |
| Governor | Rick Perry |
| Preceded by | Elton Bomer |
| Succeeded by | Geoff Connor (acting) |
| Member of the Texas House of Representatives | |
| In office January 13, 1987 – January 2, 2001 | |
| Preceded by | W. N. Hall |
| Succeeded by | Richard Raymond |
| Constituency | 43rd district (1987–1993) 42nd district (1993–2001) |
| Personal details | |
| Born | Enrique Roberto Cuellar September 19, 1955 Laredo, Texas, U.S. |
| Political party | Democratic |
| Spouse | Imelda Cuellar |
| Children | 2 |
| Education | Laredo Community College (AA) Georgetown University (BSFS) University of Texas at Austin (JD, PhD) Texas A&M International University (MA) Naval War College |
| Website | House website |
Enrique Roberto Cuellar[1] (/ˈkweɪ.ɑːr/ KWAY-ar; born September 19, 1955)[2] is an American attorney and politician serving as the U.S. representative for Texas's 28th congressional district since 2005. He is a member of the Democratic Party. His district extends from the Rio Grande to San Antonio's suburbs.
Cuellar served in the Texas House of Representatives for 14 years, from 1987 to 2001, and briefly served as the Texas Secretary of State in 2001, making him, as of 2024, the most recent Democrat to have held a statewide office in Texas.
Cuellar was first elected to Congress in 2004, after defeating incumbent Ciro Rodriguez in a primary challenge. He is considered a centrist within the House Democratic Caucus.[3][4] He has since been comfortably reelected in every general election while surviving a number of competitive primary races, most notably in 2020 and 2022.[5]
In early May 2024, Cuellar was indicted on money laundering, bribery, and conspiracy charges by a federal grand jury in Houston, Texas. He is alleged to have accepted nearly $600,000 from Azerbaijan and a Mexican commercial bank in order to influence U.S. policy.
- ^ "Legislators and Leaders | Member profile". Legislative Reference Library of Texas. Retrieved December 24, 2019.
- ^ "Cuellar, Henry, (1955–)". Biographical directory of the United States Congress. Retrieved June 9, 2016.
- ^ Cite error: The named reference
Politico 2020-03-04was invoked but never defined (see the help page). - ^ Mutnick, Ally (March 4, 2020). "Cuellar edges out liberal challenger in Texas, and other Super Tuesday House results". Politico. Retrieved August 6, 2021.
- ^ Cite error: The named reference
recountwas invoked but never defined (see the help page).