Zapata County Republican Chairwoman Jennifer Thatcher was shocked when she learned earlier this month that President Donald Trump had pardoned Rep. Henry Cuellar, freeing him from legal peril for the federal corruption charges he faced.
By pardoning Cuellar, she said, Trump removed the Laredo Democrats’ main vulnerability, which Republicans had hoped to capitalize on in next year’s midterm election.
“The pardon felt like it was undermining the GOP’s efforts,” Thatcher said. “It just caused so much mixed messages for all of us. We’re just trying to sift through it.” Republicans across Texas’ 28th Congressional District have ramped up their efforts in recent years to unseat Cuellar, who is now seeking his 12th term. Local party leaders have continued to project confidence about their odds in the days since Trump’s pardon — and yet, a number of them told The Texas Tribune they were left confused, disappointed and less confident than before.
