How To Vote Henry Cuellar Out Of Office On March 3
How one congressional seat shapes national politics.
To the Democratic voters of TX28,
I’m going to be honest with you when I tell you this, but the entire Democratic base outside of TX28 hates Henry Cuellar.
I mean, HATES him.
Because for years he has shown us, in vote after vote, that when working people are asking for help, he’s scanning the room for the nearest corporation, billionaire donor, or industry lobbyist to stand next to. He calls it “moderation.” We call it a Democrat who votes like a paid consultant for the people hurting your wages, your healthcare, your schools, and your future.
TX28 has been treated like a safe little holding pen for a politician who can sell out the Democratic agenda and still keep the “D” by his name. Meanwhile, the rest of us, in Texas and across the country, keep paying the price. Every time he sides with corporate power, it doesn’t just hurt “national Democrats.” It hurts the family trying to afford insulin in Laredo. It hurts the worker in San Antonio who can’t take a day off without risking their job. It hurts the kids in a district where opportunity is always “coming soon,” but somehow never arrives for the people who need it most.
Cuellar built a career on being the guy who can be counted on to water down the agenda, protect the powerful, and then act shocked when people stop believing Democrats mean what they say. That cynicism is how we ended up with Trump in the first place. Cuellar is part of a system where voters watch politicians play both sides, and eventually a con man shows up and says, “they’re all corrupt,” and people believe him because too many of them are.
This article is a straight-up, no-shame, no-bullshit plea to Democratic voters in TX28 to help the rest of us take our party back from the people who keep handing the country to the right.
In November, we’re going to fight like hell to kick fascists out of power. But in March, we have to do the part that makes November possible. Stop sending fascist-aligned Democrats to Washington.
This primary is your lever. This is your moment to make the whole country feel it.
And if you’ve ever wanted to see Democrats actually deliver on wages, healthcare, labor rights, schools, and basic dignity, then it starts with one simple decision:
Henry Cuellar has to go.
So, who can replace him?
Let’s get down to the practical part. Who do you vote for on March 3?
There are two Democrats on the ballot running to replace Cuellar, and either of them would be a massive upgrade.
This primary is not about holding out for a flawless candidate who agrees with every single thing you and I believe. It’s about breaking the Cuellar machine.
It’s about replacing a Democrat who has spent years siding with corporations, lobbyists, and Republican priorities.
Andrew Valentine
Andrew Valentine comes to this race from a business background. His message is built around economic growth, big infrastructure ideas, and bringing investment to South Texas.
He talks a lot about:
Expanding job opportunities in the Rio Grande Valley
Building major projects like a Dallas–Monterrey–South Texas high-speed rail line
Recruiting tech companies and aerospace suppliers
Supporting small businesses and agriculture
Using federal dollars to attract new industries and higher-paying jobs
If your priority is infrastructure, economic development, and a very pro-growth, business-friendly approach to fixing South Texas’s problems, Valentine is clearly running in that lane.
He presents himself as someone who understands how companies operate, how to create jobs, and how to turn the region into an economic hub.
He has made renewable energy and grid reliability a central part of his platform, pushing for federal investment in wind, solar, and battery storage in South Texas. That focus matters in a region with enormous clean-energy potential and too many families still dealing with high electric bills and an unreliable Texas grid.
You can find out more about him from his website and Facebook.
Ricardo Villarreal
Ricardo Villarreal comes from a very different background and tone.
He’s a physician, a veteran, and a longtime public servant who frames his campaign around healthcare, fairness, and practical Democratic policy.
His focus is much more on:
Expanding access to healthcare and lowering medical costs
Supporting Medicaid expansion in Texas
Tackling housing affordability
Reasonable immigration reform that treats people with dignity
Addressing health inequities and the day-to-day struggles families face
Where Valentine talks like a businessman trying to land a deal, Villarreal talks like a doctor who has seen the consequences of bad policy up close.
His campaign is less about megaprojects and more about bread-and-butter Democratic issues like healthcare access, working families, and building systems that actually serve ordinary people.
You can find more about him on his website or Facebook.
The Big Picture
This is a rescue mission. We’re going to rescue the Democratic Party in March, then in November we’re going to rescue America… unless there’s a civil war, or a World War, or zombies, but there isn’t yet.
Both candidates would:
Vote more consistently with Democrats
Be more accountable to voters than to corporate donors
Stop embarrassing the party on national issues
Stop giving Republicans a fake “bipartisan Democrat” to hide behind
Replacing Cuellar is step one. Figuring out the finer ideological debates comes later.
So don’t overthink this. I’m not endorsing in this race. The last thing that Cuellar did that upset the ENTIRE Democratic base across the country was vote with Republicans to fund ICE, after ICE murdered American citizens.
How to actually vote him out.
The Democratic Primary Election is Tuesday, March 3, 2026
Put it in your phone right now. Set a reminder. Treat it like a doctor’s appointment you cannot miss.
Use early voting if you can. Texas makes this part easy. Early voting runs from February 17 to February 27, 2026.
Ten full days to walk in and vote on your time. No lines. No stress.
If you’re 65 or older, disabled, out of the county during the election period, or meet one of the legal requirements, you can vote by mail. The application deadline to request a mail ballot is February 20, 2026. (It must be received by that date, not just postmarked.)
If that applies to you or someone in your family, don’t wait. Request it early and send it back as soon as you get it.
Before you do anything else, take two minutes and confirm:
You’re registered to vote
Your address is correct
You know where your polling location is
Texas makes this simple. Do not assume. Check it.
Every election, people show up on the wrong day, at the wrong place, or with outdated information. Don’t let that be you.
Bring somebody with you.
Text a friend
Talk to a neighbor
Bring your spouse
Remind your co-workers
Offer to drive someone who needs a ride
Henry Cuellar stays in power because primaries are low-turnout elections. The machine depends on people assuming “my one vote won’t matter.”
Prove them wrong.
February 2, 2026: Last Day to Register to Vote
February 17, 2026: First Day to Early Vote
March 3, 2026: Primary Election
Click here to find out what Legislative districts you’re in.
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Thanks for THIS one, Michelle!!! I enthusiastically shared this on Bsky as soon as I got up to watch the Olympics live. This is such a huge one! Wish we could vote there, don't you, :)?
I'm so fed up with the divisive coverage of primary races closer to home.
Out of curiosity do you have any opinions on the losses of Jessica Cisneros. She formerly worked under Henry Cuellar. She ran to the left of Cuellar but lost. What do you think that seemed to be the problem in this district that contributed to her loss?