History of Henry Cuellar in Timeline
Henry Cuellar is an American attorney and politician. He has served as the U.S. Representative for Texas's 28th congressional district since 2005. As a member of the Democratic Party, he represents a district that stretches from the Rio Grande up to the suburbs of San Antonio.
1926: Father's Birth
In 1926, Martin Siller Cuellar Sr., Henry Cuellar's father, was born in Tamaulipas, Mexico.
1928: Mother's Birth
In 1928, Odilia Perez, Henry Cuellar's mother, was born in Zapata, Texas.
September 19, 1955: Henry Cuellar Born
On September 19, 1955, Enrique Roberto "Henry" Cuellar was born. He is currently the U.S. representative for Texas's 28th congressional district.
1966: Creation of 23rd Congressional District
In 1966, the 23rd congressional district was created.
1973: Graduation from High School
In 1973, Henry Cuellar graduated from J. W. Nixon High School.
1981: Opened Law Firm
In 1981, Henry Cuellar opened his own law firm in Laredo.
1983: Licensed Customs Broker
In 1983, Henry Cuellar became a licensed customs broker.
1984: Adjunct Professor at Texas A&M International University
In 1984, Henry Cuellar became an adjunct professor of international commercial law at Texas A&M International University.
1986: Adjunct Professor at Texas A&M International University
In 1986, Henry Cuellar was still an adjunct professor of international commercial law at Texas A&M International University.
1987: Became Member of Texas House of Representatives
In 1987, Henry Cuellar became a member of the Texas House of Representatives, representing most of Laredo.
2001: Appointed Secretary of State of Texas
In 2001, Governor Rick Perry appointed Henry Cuellar to be Secretary of State of Texas. He served for just over nine months.
2001: Appointed Texas Secretary of State
In 2001, Henry Cuellar served briefly as the Texas Secretary of State.
2001: End of Term in Texas House
In 2001, Henry Cuellar's term as a member of the Texas House of Representatives ended.
2002: Nominee for House of Representatives
In 2002, Henry Cuellar was the Democratic nominee for the House of Representatives in Texas's 23rd congressional district, losing to Henry Bonilla.
2003: Challenged Ciro Rodriguez
In 2003, after redistricting shifted Laredo, Henry Cuellar challenged Ciro Rodriguez for the nomination in the 28th district, winning by 58 votes.
2004: First Elected to Congress
In 2004, Henry Cuellar was first elected to the U.S. Congress, defeating incumbent Ciro Rodriguez.
2004: Election to the House
In 2004, Henry Cuellar's election to the House was a standout for Democrats in a year when Republicans gained seats in Texas's House delegation.
2005: Became U.S. Representative
In 2005, Henry Cuellar began serving as the U.S. representative for Texas's 28th congressional district.
March 7, 2006: Defeated Rodriguez in Primary
On March 7, 2006, Henry Cuellar again defeated Ciro Rodriguez in the Democratic primary with 52% of the vote in a three-way race.
November 7, 2006: General Election After Court Ruling
On November 7, 2006, an election open to all candidates was held after the U.S. Supreme Court ruled that the Texas Legislature had violated Latino voters' rights. The primary results were invalidated, and a new map was drawn.
June 15, 2007: Endorsed Hillary Clinton
On June 15, 2007, Henry Cuellar endorsed Hillary Clinton for president in 2008.
March 4, 2008: Unopposed in Democratic Primary
On March 4, 2008, Henry Cuellar was unopposed in the Democratic primary. He won reelection in the general election.
2008: Endorsed Hillary Clinton for president
In 2008, Henry Cuellar endorsed Hillary Clinton for president, citing her experience and toughness.
June 26, 2009: Voted for Clean Energy and Security Act
On June 26, 2009, Henry Cuellar voted with the House majority to pass the American Clean Energy and Security Act.
March 21, 2010: Voted for Affordable Care Act
On March 21, 2010, Henry Cuellar voted for the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act.
2010: Won Reelection
In 2010, Henry Cuellar was unopposed for the Democratic nomination and won reelection in the general election.
2011: Authored Legislation Honoring Jaime Zapata
In 2011, Henry Cuellar authored and co-sponsored legislation seeking to honor slain ICE agent Jaime Zapata.
2011: Delivered Funding for Veterans Administration Clinic
In 2011, Henry Cuellar delivered federal funding to open a Veterans Administration outpatient clinic in Laredo, Texas.
2012: Economic Ties Between the U.S. and Mexico Reached $500 Billion
In 2012, the economic ties between the U.S. and Mexico reached $500 billion.
2013: Renewed Opposition to Border Fence
In 2013, Henry Cuellar renewed his opposition to a border fence along the Rio Grande between the U.S. and Mexico.
December 2014: Start of Alleged Bribery Scheme
The indictment states that the alleged bribery scheme began around December 2014, involving laundered money from Azerbaijan and a Mexican bank.
2014: Portrayal of George Washington
In 2014, Cuellar portrayed George Washington during the annual Washington's Birthday Celebration in Laredo.
2014: Voted for Republican Measure
In 2014, Henry Cuellar voted for a Republican measure blocking the implementation of a Washington, D.C., decriminalization law.
2014: Won Reelection
In 2014, Henry Cuellar was unopposed in the Democratic primary and faced no Republican opposition in the general election, winning reelection.
2015: Death of Mother, Odilia Perez
In 2015, Henry Cuellar's mother, Odilia Perez, passed away.
March 1, 2016: Won Democratic Primary
On March 1, 2016, Henry Cuellar won a rematch in the Democratic primary against William R. Hayward.
2018: Fired Pregnant Staffer
In 2018, Cuellar fired a pregnant staffer who requested parental leave and subsequently suffered a miscarriage.
2018: Won Reelection
In 2018, Henry Cuellar was unopposed in the Democratic primary and won reelection in the general election with 84.4% of the vote.
January 11, 2019: Justice Democrats Sought Primary Challenger
On January 11, 2019, Justice Democrats announced they were seeking a primary challenger against Henry Cuellar in the upcoming Democratic primary.
July 13, 2019: Justice Democrats Supported Jessica Cisneros
On July 13, 2019, Justice Democrats announced their support for Jessica Cisneros, who was running a primary campaign against Henry Cuellar.
December 18, 2019: Vote for Impeachment
On December 18, 2019, Cuellar voted in favor of both articles of impeachment against Donald Trump.
2019: Death of Father, Martin Siller Cuellar Sr.
In 2019, Henry Cuellar's father, Martin Siller Cuellar Sr., passed away.
March 4, 2020: Defeated Cisneros in Primary
On March 4, 2020, Henry Cuellar defeated Jessica Cisneros in the Democratic primary.
2020: Secured COVID-19 Funding
In 2020, Henry Cuellar secured $1.2 million in federal funding to support efforts to fight COVID-19 in Webb County.
2020: Survived Primary Challenge
In 2020, Henry Cuellar survived a competitive primary race.
2020: Voted Against MORE Act
In 2020, Henry Cuellar was one of six House Democrats to vote against the Marijuana Opportunity Reinvestment and Expungement (MORE) Act, which aimed to legalize cannabis at the federal level.
January 6, 2021: Capitol Attack and Impeachment Call
Following the January 6, 2021 attack on the U.S. Capitol, Cuellar called for a second impeachment of Donald Trump.
November 2021: End of Alleged Bribery Scheme
The indictment states that the alleged bribery scheme ended around November 2021, involving laundered money from Azerbaijan and a Mexican bank.
2021: Vote Against PRO Act
In 2021, Cuellar voted against the Protecting the Right to Organize (PRO) Act.
2021: Instrumental in Infrastructure Deal Passage
In 2021, Henry Cuellar was instrumental in shepherding through passage of the bipartisan infrastructure deal.
2021: Voted Against Women's Health Protection Act
In 2021, Henry Cuellar was the only Democrat to vote against the Women's Health Protection Act, which aimed to preserve access to abortion nationwide.
2021: Governor's Visit to DC
In 2021, Samuel García, governor of Nuevo León, visited Washington, DC on a trip hosted by Cuellar's office to build support for the San Antonio to Monterrey passenger rail proposal.
2021: Issued Opinion on Ranked-Choice Voting
In 2021, as Texas Secretary of State, Henry Cuellar issued an opinion that home-rule cities in Texas could not adopt ranked-choice voting, influencing the city of Austin's decision on Proposition E.
January 19, 2022: FBI Search Warrant
On January 19, 2022, the FBI obtained a search warrant for Cuellar's Laredo residence and campaign office as part of a federal probe relating to Azerbaijan.
May 2022: Lawyer Claims Innocence
As of May 2022, Cuellar's lawyer maintained Cuellar was innocent in the FBI investigation.
June 21, 2022: The Associated Press Called the Race
On June 21, 2022, The Associated Press called the race. Cuellar had extended his lead to a 289-vote margin during the recount. He went on to easily win reelection against the Republican nominee.
2022: Survived Primary Challenge
In 2022, Henry Cuellar survived another competitive primary race.
January 2023: No Arrests Made
As of January 2023, no arrests had been made in the case, and the FBI had not indicated Cuellar was a person of interest in the ongoing investigation.
March 2023: Announced Vote to Roll Back Environmental Regulations
In March 2023, Henry Cuellar announced that he would vote to roll back environmental regulations in President Biden's Inflation Reduction Act.
August 2023: Voting Record Aligned with Biden
As of August 2023, Henry Cuellar had voted in line with Joe Biden's stated position 96% of the time.
October 2, 2023: Carjacking Incident
On October 2, 2023, Cuellar was held at gunpoint and carjacked outside of his Washington, D.C., apartment residence, although his belongings were later recovered.
2023: Last Democrat to Serve as Secretary of State
As of 2023, Henry Cuellar is the last Democrat to have served as Secretary of State of Texas.
2023: Finishing Master's Degree
As of 2023, Henry Cuellar was finishing a master's degree in defense and strategic studies from the Naval War College.
2023: Voted to Amend Defense Policy Bill
In 2023, Henry Cuellar was among four Democrats who voted to amend the annual defense policy bill to ban a Biden administration policy that allowed service members to be reimbursed for abortion-related travel and other expenses.
May 3, 2024: Indictment on Money Laundering Charges
On May 3, 2024, Cuellar and his wife, Imelda, were indicted on money laundering, conspiracy, and bribery charges.
July 1, 2024: Worst-Paid U.S. House Office
On July 1, 2024, it was reported that Henry Cuellar's office is the worst-paid U.S. House office, with a median salary of $47,480.
2024: Endorsements for 2024
In 2024, Henry Cuellar received endorsements from Democratic leaders including Hakeem Jeffries, Katherine Clark, Pete Aguilar, Nancy Pelosi, Steny Hoyer, and Jim Clyburn.
2025: Most Recent Democrat to Hold Statewide Office
As of 2025, Henry Cuellar is noted as the most recent Democrat to have held a statewide office in Texas.
2025: Voted for Laken Riley Act
In 2025, Henry Cuellar was one of 46 House Democrats who joined all Republicans to vote for the Laken Riley Act.
2025: Voted for Protection of Women and Girls in Sports Act
In 2025, Henry Cuellar was one of two House Democrats to vote in favor of the Protection of Women and Girls in Sports Act, which would ban transgender athletes from participating in women's and girls' sports at federally funded schools.
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