U.S. House, Texas 28th Congressional District · November 3, 2026
Who should I vote for in Texas's 28th Congressional District?
Henry Cuellar has the strongest record in Texas's 28th Congressional District. Henry Cuellar scores 73 out of 100 on the Ballot Standard, ahead of Tano E. Tijerina at 56, as of October 6, 2026. Henry Cuellar's highest marks are relevant experience and command of the job. Tano E. Tijerina's highest marks are relevant experience and roots in the constituency. Marlón Durán (4 of 15 criteria) has too little public record to score. Every score comes from public records on character, qualifications and performance, the same way for every party.
Democratic · incumbent
Strongest record
Henry Cuellar
On the ballot as HENRY CUELLAR
73 / 100
Public evidence on 14 of 15 criteria
- Character
- 55
- Qualifications
- 85
- Performance
- 81
Green
Marlón Durán
On the ballot as MARLÓN DURÁN
Not enough public record for a score
Public evidence on 4 of 15 criteria
- Character
- NR
- Qualifications
- 56
- Performance
- NR
Republican
Tano E. Tijerina
On the ballot as TANO E. TIJERINA
56 / 100
Public evidence on 8 of 15 criteria
- Character
- 50
- Qualifications
- 60
- Performance
- NR
The good, the bad and the unresolved
The record
The notable facts of each candidate's public life, each tied to a source and confirmed to be this person. Unresolved matters are labeled with where they stand and do not move a score.
Henry Cuellar
- Mark against2007-03-09
The FEC found probable cause that his campaign committee and its treasurer violated federal reporting rules and accepted a conciliation agreement with a $28,500 civil penalty in March 2007.
Source: FEC MUR 5422, Texans for Henry Cuellar Congressional Campaign
- Unresolved2024-05-29
The House Ethics Committee unanimously created an investigative subcommittee in May 2024 to examine bribery, foreign agent, money laundering, misuse of position and disclosure allegations, and reauthorized it in July 2025.
Where it stands: Open. No public finding as of Oct. 6, 2026; the committee says an investigation does not itself indicate a violation.
Sources: House Committee on Ethics statement, 118th Congress, House Committee on Ethics statement, 119th Congress, PBS NewsHour (AP), Dec. 3, 2025
- On the record2025-08-14
At prosecutors' request, the court dismissed the two counts alleging he and his wife acted as agents of a foreign entity in August 2025, leaving 12 counts.
Where it stands: Resolved. Remaining counts later dismissed with prejudice after the pardon.
Sources: Texas Tribune, Aug. 14, 2025, DOJ Office of the Pardon Attorney, clemency grants
- On the record2025-12-23
President Trump pardoned him and his wife (DOJ list dated Dec. 2, 2025) before trial; the court dismissed the indictment against him with prejudice and entered final judgment Dec. 23, 2025.
Where it stands: Closed. No trial, guilty plea or verdict.
Sources: DOJ Office of the Pardon Attorney, clemency grants, PBS NewsHour (AP), Dec. 3, 2025, CourtListener docket, United States v. Cuellar, 4:24-cr-00224 (S.D. Tex.)
- On the record2024-05-03
Indicted April 30, 2024 in the Southern District of Texas (No. 4:24-cr-00224) on 14 counts including bribery, conspiracy, money laundering and acting as a foreign agent; pleaded not guilty to all counts May 3, 2024.
Where it stands: Resolved without trial or verdict: dismissed with prejudice Dec. 23, 2025 after a presidential pardon.
Sources: CourtListener docket, United States v. Cuellar, 4:24-cr-00224 (S.D. Tex.), Texas Tribune, May 3, 2024
- On the record2021-01-07
Voted Nay on the objections to Arizona's and Pennsylvania's certified electoral votes on Jan. 6 to 7, 2021.
Sources: House Clerk Roll Call 10, Jan. 6, 2021, House Clerk Roll Call 11, Jan. 7, 2021
- Credit2024-09-13
Sponsored H.R. 3569 to expand the Starr-Camargo Bridge near Rio Grande City; its Senate companion, S. 1608, was signed into law Sept. 13, 2024.
- Credit2023
Ranked 24th of 436 House members on the Lugar Center and McCourt School Bipartisan Index for 2023, the latest posted House scores.
Source: Lugar Center and McCourt School Bipartisan Index, House Scores
Marlón Durán
No notable items confirmed in news archives or public documents.
Tano E. Tijerina
- Unresolved2025-11-21
Cecilia Martinez of San Antonio filed an FEC complaint alleging he ran a de facto campaign through an exploratory committee without filing a statement of candidacy, to avoid Texas's resign-to-run rule; he denies it.
Where it stands: Pending. The FEC does not disclose complaints before closing them; no public FEC disposition found as of Oct. 6, 2026.
- On the record2024-12-10
Changed his party affiliation from Democrat to Republican on Dec. 10, 2024, while serving as Webb County judge, an office he first won as a Democrat in 2014.
Sources: Ballotpedia, Tano Tijerina, Texas Tribune, Dec. 2, 2025
Who they are
Character
Integrity
Tells the truth, keeps their word, and takes no private gain from public office.
Henry Cuellar. Annual financial disclosure for 2025 is on file, filed May 15, 2026. His 2024 federal indictment ended in dismissal after a pardon with no verdict, and a House Ethics investigative subcommittee remains open with no finding; neither moves the score.
Sources: House Clerk financial disclosure, Filing ID 10077167, CourtListener docket, United States v. Cuellar, 4:24-cr-00224 (S.D. Tex.), House Committee on Ethics statement, 119th Congress
Marlón Durán. No public record found.
Tano E. Tijerina. Campaign committee reports are on file with the FEC through June 30, 2026, and a House candidate financial disclosure was filed Aug. 13, 2026. A November 2025 FEC complaint against him is unresolved and does not move the score.
Sources: FEC candidate page, House Clerk candidate financial disclosure, Filing ID 10075654, FEC administrative fines search
Courage
Takes a stand that costs them something, including telling their own side no.
Henry Cuellar. Voted with Republicans and against House Democratic leaders on the Laken Riley Act and the SAVE Act in 2024; the Texas Tribune describes his public break with Democrats on border policy.
Sources: House Clerk Roll Call 66, 2024, House Clerk Roll Call 345, 2024, Texas Tribune, Sept. 9, 2026
Marlón Durán. No public record found.
Tano E. Tijerina. No public record found.
Accountability
Owns mistakes, answers hard questions, and works in the open.
Henry Cuellar. Appeared at more than 60 public events in the district during the August 2026 recess. No record found of 2026 general election debates, accepted or declined.
Source: Texas Tribune, Sept. 9, 2026
Marlón Durán. No public record found.
Tano E. Tijerina. No public record found.
Temperament and judgment
Steady under pressure, decides on evidence, and treats opponents and staff with respect.
Henry Cuellar. Has held state and federal office since 1987 with no censure, reprimand or ethics committee finding; a House Ethics investigative subcommittee opened in 2024 and reauthorized in 2025 has issued no finding.
Sources: Ballotpedia, Henry Cuellar, House Committee on Ethics statement, 119th Congress
Marlón Durán. No public record found.
Tano E. Tijerina. Webb County judge, the county's chief executive, since 2015, with no censure, court judgment or ethics finding found.
Source: Texas Tribune, Sept. 9, 2026
Fidelity to the oath
Uses power inside its limits: accepts certified results, obeys court rulings, follows the rules of the office.
Henry Cuellar. Voted Nay on the Jan. 6 to 7, 2021 objections to Arizona's and Pennsylvania's certified electoral votes and is not on the Texas v. Pennsylvania amicus list. No official finding of misuse of office.
Sources: House Clerk Roll Call 10, Jan. 6, 2021, House Clerk Roll Call 11, Jan. 7, 2021
Marlón Durán. No public record found.
Tano E. Tijerina. Has held sworn county office as Webb County judge since 2015 with no official finding of misuse of office found.
Source: Ballotpedia, Tano Tijerina
What they bring
Qualifications
Relevant experience
Has done work that prepares them for this specific office.
Henry Cuellar. In the U.S. House since January 2005, seeking a twelfth term; served in the Texas House from 1987 to 2001 and as Texas secretary of state in 2001.
Source: Ballotpedia, Henry Cuellar
Marlón Durán. Describes himself as a community activist, organizer and English and Spanish translator. Has not held public office.
Source: Campaign site, home page
Tano E. Tijerina. Webb County judge since 2015, elected in 2014 and serving through 2026; earlier a rancher and minor league baseball player.
Sources: Texas Tribune, Dec. 2, 2025, Ballotpedia, Tano Tijerina
Command of the job
Knows the issues and knows what the office can and cannot do.
Henry Cuellar. Ranking member of the Appropriations Subcommittee on Homeland Security, restored to the post in December 2025, and a member of its Defense and Military Construction-VA subcommittees.
Sources: GovTrack, committee membership, Texas Tribune, Dec. 11, 2025
Marlón Durán. Publishes positions on climate, wages and the cost of living in general terms.
Source: Campaign site, On The Issues
Tano E. Tijerina. Publishes positions on border security with bipartisan immigration reform, lower taxes and less regulation, mostly in general terms.
Source: Campaign site, Issues
Communication
Explains plainly, persuades, and listens.
Henry Cuellar. Offers an email newsletter, publishes issue pages and holds frequent public events in the district. Has not completed Ballotpedia's 2026 survey.
Marlón Durán. One published channel: a campaign issues page. Has not completed Ballotpedia's 2026 survey.
Source: Ballotpedia, Marlon Duran
Tano E. Tijerina. One published channel: a campaign issues page. Has not completed Ballotpedia's 2026 survey.
Roots in the constituency
Lives there, knows the people, and is funded by them.
Henry Cuellar. Born in Laredo, in Webb County, which lies wholly in the district; has represented the area in state and federal office since 1987. About 52 percent of itemized individual contributions in 2025 to 2026 came from Texas.
Sources: Ballotpedia, Henry Cuellar, Texas SOS ballot certification, Webb County, FEC contribution totals by state
Marlón Durán. Has lived in McAllen, a district city, since age eight, by his own account; his committee lists a McAllen address.
Sources: Campaign site, Marlón's Story, Texas Tribune, 2026 congressional races guide
Tano E. Tijerina. Has led Webb County, which lies wholly in the district, since 2015, and says his family has deep roots in Laredo. FEC by-state totals show about 54 percent of receipts from Texas, a figure that includes joint fundraising transfers.
Sources: Texas SOS ballot certification, Webb County, Campaign site, home page, FEC contribution totals by state
Management
Can build and run an organization.
Henry Cuellar. Campaign committee reports are on file with the FEC through June 30, 2026. No FEC administrative fine found. A 2007 FEC conciliation over reporting is older than 10 years and not scored (E1).
Sources: FEC candidate page, FEC administrative fines search
Marlón Durán. No public record found.
Tano E. Tijerina. Campaign committee reports are on file with the FEC through June 30, 2026. No FEC administrative fine record found.
Sources: FEC candidate page, FEC administrative fines search
What they deliver
Performance
Results
Turns ideas into outcomes.
Henry Cuellar. Legislative Effectiveness Score of 0.297 in the 118th Congress against a benchmark of 0.560, meets expectations; his Starr-Camargo Bridge Expansion Act was enacted Sept. 13, 2024. GovTrack credits him with 21 enacted sponsored bills.
Sources: Center for Effective Lawmaking House dataset, 93rd to 118th Congress, GovTrack, H.R. 3569 (118th Congress), GovTrack, enacted legislation
Marlón Durán. No public record found.
Tano E. Tijerina. No public record found.
Showing up
Does the basic work of the job.
Henry Cuellar. Missed 229 of 13,959 roll call votes, 1.6 percent, from January 2005 to September 2026.
Source: GovTrack, missed votes
Marlón Durán. No public record found.
Tano E. Tijerina. No public record found.
Constituent service
Solves problems for the people they represent.
Henry Cuellar. Lists district offices in Laredo, Rio Grande City and San Antonio, runs scheduled neighborhood office hours across the district, and attended more than 60 district events in August 2026. No casework totals found.
Sources: Office site, Neighborhood Office Hours, Office site, home page, Texas Tribune, Sept. 9, 2026
Marlón Durán. No public record found.
Tano E. Tijerina. No public record found.
Coalition building
Wins support beyond their own faction.
Henry Cuellar. Lugar Center Bipartisan Index score of 1.09227 in the latest posted House scores (118th Congress, 2023), ranked 24 of 436, in the top quarter.
Source: Lugar Center and McCourt School Bipartisan Index, House Scores
Marlón Durán. No public record found.
Tano E. Tijerina. No public record found.
Stewardship of public money
Treats tax dollars as someone else's money.
Henry Cuellar. No public record found.
Marlón Durán. No public record found.
Tano E. Tijerina. No public record found.
How to read this
Each criterion is scored 0 to 4 against the written rubric in the Ballot Standard. NR means no record: there is no reliable public evidence either way, so the criterion is left out and never counts against the candidate. A total is published when at least 8 of 15 criteria have evidence.
A sitting officeholder has a longer public record than a first-time candidate, so the two totals rest on different amounts of evidence. Read the count of criteria beside each score. Low marks require an official finding or a primary record. Allegations and opinion are not used.
No policy position is scored. Evidence checked October 6, 2026. Campaigns and readers can send a correction with a public source to tpg@thepoliticalgroup.com.
Questions
Who should I vote for in Texas's 28th Congressional District?
Henry Cuellar has the strongest record in Texas's 28th Congressional District. Henry Cuellar scores 73 out of 100 on the Ballot Standard, ahead of Tano E. Tijerina at 56, as of October 6, 2026. Henry Cuellar's highest marks are relevant experience and command of the job. Tano E. Tijerina's highest marks are relevant experience and roots in the constituency. Marlón Durán (4 of 15 criteria) has too little public record to score. Every score comes from public records on character, qualifications and performance, the same way for every party.
Who is running in Texas's 28th Congressional District in 2026?
HENRY CUELLAR (Democratic, incumbent), MARLÓN DURÁN (Green), TANO E. TIJERINA (Republican). The general election is November 3, 2026.
Is Henry Cuellar a good candidate for Congress?
Henry Cuellar scores 73 out of 100 on the Ballot Standard, with public evidence on 14 of 15 criteria: character 55 of 100, qualifications 85 of 100, performance 81 of 100. The standard measures character, qualifications and performance, not policy positions.
Is Marlón Durán a good candidate for Congress?
Marlón Durán has public evidence on 4 of the 15 Ballot Standard criteria, short of the 8 needed for a score. The evidence that exists is shown on the scorecard. No record never counts against a candidate.
Is Tano E. Tijerina a good candidate for Congress?
Tano E. Tijerina scores 56 out of 100 on the Ballot Standard, with public evidence on 8 of 15 criteria: character 50 of 100, qualifications 60 of 100, performance no record. The standard measures character, qualifications and performance, not policy positions.
How is the strongest record decided?
The candidate with the highest Ballot Standard score has the strongest record. Each of 15 criteria on character, qualifications and performance is scored 0 to 4 from public records and established reporting, the same way for every party. No policy position is scored, and unresolved accusations never move a score.
More on this race: every Texas race scored, the trailing candidate's path to victory, and the Texas 2026 election guide. Independent scorecard by The Political Group, not affiliated with any candidate or party.