2020 presidential hopeful Elizabeth Warren endorsed a congressional challenger who is running against a Democratic incumbent.
The Massachusetts senator backed immigration lawyer Jessica Cisneros on Monday who is going up against Democratic Rep. Henry Cuellar for Texas’s 28th District. The congressman’s campaign responded to the endorsement by blasting both Warren and his opponent.
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Warren called Cisneros, 26, who interned under Cuellar five years ago, a “fighter” and added that the district is “ready for systematic change and deserve a Democrat that will be on the side of working people; not the side of big money and obstructionist Republicans,” according to the Texas Tribune.
I’m so proud to receive the endorsement of @ewarren. Thank you for embracing our grassroots movement in South Texas. Together, we will fight to fix our corrupt political system and improve the lives of working families across the country. ¡Sí, se puede! https://t.co/YzuXqRjObv
— Jessica Cisneros for Congress (@JCisnerosTX) September 9, 2019
“Senator Warren and our opponent have a lot in common. Both of them have been living in the Northeast region the last few years, both have a job-killing agenda that would eliminate 108,000 energy jobs in our area, both support a healthcare plan that would kill negotiated benefits for millions of union members nationwide, and both have been less than honest about their past,” Colin Strother, Cuellar’s campaign spokesman told the Washington Examiner.
He went on, “We are focused on our own campaign and perhaps if Senator Warren did the same thing she would be polling higher than 10% in Texas.”
Cisneros has been backed by Justice Democrats, the group that helped get prominent progressive Democrats elected, including Reps. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez of New York and Ayanna Pressley of Massachusetts. They helped her raise more than $100,000 in the first 48 hours of her campaign, the New York Times reported.
Cuellar is widely considered to be one of the most pro-Trump Democrats in Congress. FiveThirtyEight tallied that he votes in line with the president on 48.9% of votes so far in the 116th Congress.
