Henry Cuellar Bio
Enrique Roberto “Henry” Cuellar (born September 19, 1955) is an American politician and attorney serving as the U.S. representative for Texas’s 28th congressional district since 2005. A member of the Democratic Party, his district stretches from the Rio Grande to the suburbs of San Antonio. Cuellar earlier served fourteen years in the Texas House of Representatives (1987–2001) and briefly as Texas secretary of state in 2001.
Widely regarded as a centrist and one of the more conservative House Democrats, he sits on influential appropriations panels and has focused on border, trade, and infrastructure issues. In May 2024, Cuellar and his wife were federally indicted on bribery and money-laundering charges; he was later pardoned by President Donald Trump in December 2025.
Early Life and Background
Enrique Roberto “Henry” Cuellar was born in Laredo, Texas, on September 19, 1955. He is one of eight children in a Mexican-American family. His father, Martín Siller Cuéllar Sr. (1926–2019), was born in Tamaulipas, Mexico, and immigrated to the United States, where he worked as a migrant worker. His mother, the late Odilia Pérez (1928–2015), was a native of Zapata, Texas.
Cuellar graduated in 1973 from J. W. Nixon High School. He then earned an Associate of Arts degree from Laredo Community College, which was then known as Laredo Junior College. He went on to attend the Walsh School of Foreign Service at Georgetown University, graduating cum laude with a Bachelor of Science in foreign service.
Cuellar continued his education with a Master of Arts in international trade from Texas A&M International University, a Juris Doctor from the University of Texas School of Law, and a Ph.D. from the University of Texas at Austin. He also completed a master’s in defense and strategic studies at the Naval War College, graduating in 2025.
Path to US Politics
Cuellar began his professional career in 1981 when he opened his own law firm in Laredo. He became a licensed customs broker in 1983, building a practice centered on cross-border trade and international commercial law. From 1984 to 1986, he taught at Texas A&M International University as an adjunct professor of international commercial law, sharing his expertise with students in his hometown region.
In 1986, Cuellar won a seat in the Texas House of Representatives, representing most of Laredo. He went on to serve fourteen years in the chamber, sitting on the House Appropriations, Higher Education, and Calendar committees. He also served on several national legislative committees dealing with state budgets, the U.S.–Mexico border, and international trade.
In 2001, Governor Rick Perry appointed Cuellar to serve as Texas Secretary of State. He held the post for just over nine months before resigning. As of 2025, he remains the most recent Democrat to have held a statewide office in Texas.
Henry Cuellar Career
Early Career (1981–2001)
Cuellar’s first notable political step came in 1986, when he won election to the Texas House of Representatives. Representing most of Laredo, he built a reputation as a workhorse lawmaker focused on border economics, education funding, and state budgets. His long tenure in Austin gave him deep experience in legislative deal-making.
His career reached a new level in 2001 when Governor Rick Perry tapped him to serve as Texas Secretary of State. Although his time in the role lasted only nine months, it positioned him as a prominent statewide figure and gave him a launching pad for a congressional bid.
Congressional Breakthrough (2002–2004)
Cuellar first ran for Congress in 2002 as the Democratic nominee in Texas’s 23rd congressional district, losing to five-term Republican incumbent Henry Bonilla by 52% to 47% in the closest race Bonilla had faced. Cuellar spent early 2003 preparing for a rematch, but redistricting shifted most of Laredo into the 28th district, represented by Ciro Rodriguez.
Cuellar challenged Rodriguez, a former friend, in the Democratic primary and won by just 58 votes after a recount. The Washington Post described the campaign as “nasty.” His victory was one of only two primary upsets of incumbents from either party nationwide that year.
In November 2004, Cuellar cruised to a 20-point general election win, becoming the first Laredoan in over 20 years to represent the 28th district. He has been comfortably reelected in every general election since, while surviving several competitive primary battles, most notably in 2020 and 2022.
Centrist Democrat Era (2005–Present)
Since first arriving in Congress, Cuellar has become one of the most conservative members of the House Democratic Caucus. He has described himself as a “moderate centrist” and a “good old conservative Democrat,” and during the 117th Congress he voted with the Democratic caucus 96.8% of the time. The Lugar Center and McCourt School of Public Policy ranked him the sixth-most bipartisan member of the House during the first session of that Congress.
Cuellar is the only Texas Democrat on the House Appropriations Committee and has used the position to deliver federal funds to his district. In 2011, he helped open a Veterans Administration outpatient clinic in Laredo, and in 2020, he secured $1.2 million in federal funding to fight COVID-19 in Webb County. He supported the return of earmarks and has been named one of the 20 top earmarkers in Congress.
He was instrumental in passing the bipartisan infrastructure deal in 2021, joining nine Democrats who threatened to boycott a procedural vote unless House leadership allowed a vote on President Biden’s Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act. The effort resulted in passage of the $1.2 trillion infrastructure bill. He also serves as Ranking Member of the House Appropriations Subcommittee on Homeland Security.
Notable Events and Milestones
Cuellar’s signature political moment was his 2004 primary defeat of Ciro Rodriguez by 58 votes, a stunning upset that reshaped South Texas politics. He was also one of only 13 Democrats to win a district carried by Donald Trump in a recent presidential election, underscoring his centrist appeal in a competitive region.
Henry Cuellar Family
Family Background and Political Lineage
Cuellar comes from a large Mexican-American family in South Texas. He is one of eight children, and several relatives have followed him into public service. His brother, Martin Cuellar, serves as Sheriff of Webb County, and his sister, Rosie Cuellar, is the municipal judge in Rio Bravo.
Personal Life
Cuellar and his wife, Imelda Cuellar, have two daughters. The family resides in Laredo, Texas. Cuellar is Roman Catholic, and in 2014 he portrayed George Washington during the annual Washington’s Birthday Celebration in Laredo. On October 2, 2023, he was held at gunpoint and carjacked by three robbers outside his Washington, D.C., apartment; he was unharmed, and his vehicle and belongings were recovered within hours.