By Moira Warburton

WASHINGTON (Reuters) – Centrist U.S. Consultant Henry Cuellar seeks to carry off progressive challenger Jessica Cisneros on Tuesday in a high-profile south Texas Democratic main battle that illustrates sharp dividing traces over immigration and abortion rights.

The election in a district alongside the U.S.-Mexico border is the third contest between Cuellar, who has held the seat since 2005, and Cisneros, a 28-year-old legal professional who did not unseat him in 2020 however pressured him to a runoff within the state’s March main this yr.

The race took on new urgency in latest weeks after a leaked opinion indicated that the Supreme Courtroom may overturn a 1973 ruling that legalized abortion nationwide.

Cuellar, 66, is the lone Home Democrat to oppose abortion rights, and abortion-rights teams have spent at the least $160,000 to bolster Cisneros’s marketing campaign.

Cuellar has mentioned Cisneros would danger public security and damage the native economic system by slicing legislation enforcement funding in a district the place many citizens work for border patrol companies.

Cisneros has since distanced herself from her earlier name to get rid of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement.

Political analysts have mentioned a Cisneros win may threaten Democrats’ probabilities to carry the seat within the Nov. 8 election, when Republicans hope to win management of the Home of Representatives.

However Cuellar’s energy within the common election should not be a foregone conclusion, mentioned Joshua Clean, analysis director of the Texas Politics Venture on the College of Texas in Austin.

“The truth is that Cisneros has come very near unseating Cuellar twice at this level,” Clean mentioned. “If he cannot defeat Cisneros, then I believe the logic underlying that ought to come into query.”

Cisneros has benefited from elevated title recognition and an FBI investigation that noticed raids on Cuellar’s residence and workplace.

Monetary disclosures on Friday confirmed she has out-raised him by virtually $1.4 million, and has round $400,000 extra cash available than Cuellar.

The race is one in every of a number of midterm main battles Tuesday between incumbent Home Democrats and progressive challengers.

In Oregon, Jamie McLeod-Skinner appears set to oust reasonable incumbent Kurt Schrader, whereas in Pennsylvania progressive Summer time Lee has a slight lead over Steve Irwin. Different progressive challengers like Nina Turner in Ohio have misplaced.