Rep. Henry Cuellar, a Texas Democrat who acquired a pardon from President Trump after being indicted on corruption prices, simply won a twelfth House time period on Tuesday.

Cuellar led Republican nominee Tano Tijerina by 66% to 30% with about 80% of the ballots tallied.

Cuellar, 71, and his spouse Imelda had been indicted in May 2024 on bribery and cash laundering prices. With the case still pending, Trump pardoned the couple this previous December, claiming Cuellar had been focused by the Biden Justice Department for attacking the forty sixth president’s open borders coverage.

Rep. Henry Cuellar, a Texas Democrat, won re-election

Days later, after Cuellar confirmed he would run for another time period, Trump turned on the congressman, bashing him for not switching events and claiming he only pardoned the Cuellars after their daughters pleaded with him to do so.

“Such a lack of LOYALTY, something that Texas Voters, and Henry’s daughters, will not like,” Trump said in a put up on Truth Social Dec. 7. “Oh’ well, next time, no more Mr. Nice guy!”

Republicans saw a probability to decide up Cuellar’s seat and recruited Tijerina, a native elected decide, to run against him.

Despite House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) and Majority Leader Steve Scalise (R-La.) both campaigning alongside Tijerina, Cuellar lived up to his repute as the “King of Laredo.”

GOP House candidate Tano Tijerina talking at the Republican Midterm Convention in Dallas on Sept. 10, 2026. CQ-Roll Call, Inc via Getty Images

President Trump pardoned Cuellar but later said he regretted it Getty Images

Two weeks before the election, with polls exhibiting Tijerina properly behind, GOP-supporting outside teams stopped spending on the race, opting to transfer their cash elsewhere.

Meanwhile, former President Bill Clinton endorsed Cuellar, alongside with Democratic Majority for Israel and the American Israel Political Affairs Committee.

Prosecutors claimed Henry and Imelda Cuellar accepted tons of of 1000’s of {dollars} in bribes from an Azerbaijani oil and fuel firm as properly as a Mexican financial institution in change for the congressman working to sway US coverage to profit both the central Asian nation and the monetary establishment.