Henry Cuellar
U.S. Representative (Democrat) from Texas's 28th district, serving since 2005
Official U.S. Congress photo (public domain)
U.S. Representative for TX-28 (Democratic), in Congress since 2005. Estimated from 14 recorded votes, 7 documented positions and the Moderate Democrat lane (chosen from their DW-NOMINATE voting score (-0.225, from 566 votes; Voteview)).
Political compass placement
| Map dimension | Score (0–100) | Position | Reading |
|---|---|---|---|
| Economic Collective / planned ↔ Market | 56 | near the center | |
| Social Progressive ↔ Traditional | 36 | near the center | |
| Authority Libertarian ↔ Authoritarian | 33 | toward libertarian | |
| National identity Cosmopolitan ↔ Nationalist | 41 | near the center | |
| Foreign policy Non-intervention ↔ Intervention | 58 | near the center |
All nine underlying dimensions
| Dimension | Score | Reading |
|---|---|---|
| Economic ownership Collective ownership ↔ Private ownership | 64 | near the center |
| Civil liberties Civil liberty ↔ State restrictions | 47 | near the center |
| National identity Cosmopolitan ↔ Nationalist | 41 | near the center |
| Social and cultural values Progressive ↔ Traditionalist | 39 | near the center |
| Political governance Democratic ↔ Autocratic | 18 | toward democratic |
| Equality and hierarchy Egalitarian ↔ Hierarchical | 46 | near the center |
| Economic management Free market ↔ State planning | 56 | near the center |
| Military intervention Non-intervention ↔ Intervention | 58 | near the center |
| Religion and government Secular state ↔ Religious authority | 30 | toward secular state |
These positions are estimates on the Atlas’s nine-dimension scale, produced by running the available evidence through the same questions and scoring used for test-takers. They are interpretations for comparison, not objective measurements. How scores are made.
Key positions
| Statement | Position | Basis |
|---|---|---|
| Opposition parties should be free to compete in elections. | Strongly agrees | party-lane estimate |
| Religious doctrine should take precedence over civil law when they conflict. | Strongly disagrees | party-lane estimate |
| The means of production should ultimately be owned collectively. | Strongly disagrees | party-lane estimate |
| Preserving a historic national majority is a legitimate immigration objective. | Strongly disagrees | party-lane estimate |
| People should be free to criticize the government without fear of legal punishment. | Strongly agrees | party-lane estimate |
| Central economic planning is preferable to decentralized market decisions. | Disagrees | party-lane estimate |
| Abortion should be illegal in most or all cases. | Agrees | documented |
| Military power should be used proactively when serious external threats are emerging. | Disagrees | documented |
| Society works best when established social hierarchies are respected. | Strongly disagrees | party-lane estimate |
| Differences in social status help maintain an orderly society. | Strongly disagrees | party-lane estimate |
Recorded votes used
| Vote | How they voted | Counts toward |
|---|---|---|
| H.R. 28, Protection of Women and Girls in Sports Act House roll 12 (2025) | Yea | Transgender women should be able to compete in women’s sports. |
| H.R. 21, Born-Alive Abortion Survivors Protection Act House roll 27 (2025) | Yea | Abortion should be illegal in most or all cases. |
| H.R. 1, One Big Beautiful Bill Act House roll 145 (2025) | Nay | Cutting taxes is generally better for the economy than increasing public spending. |
| H.R. 1, final passage House roll 190 (2025) | Nay | Cutting taxes is generally better for the economy than increasing public spending. |
| H.R. 1, One Big Beautiful Bill Act House roll 145 (2025) | Nay | Welfare benefits should be kept limited so that people have strong incentives to work. |
| H.R. 1, final passage House roll 190 (2025) | Nay | Welfare benefits should be kept limited so that people have strong incentives to work. |
| H.R. 4, Rescissions Act House roll 168 (2025) | Nay | Wealthy countries should give more aid to poorer countries. |
| H.J.Res. 87 (overturn California vehicle-emission waiver) House roll 111 (2025) | Yea | The government should require a rapid shift away from fossil fuels, even at significant cost. |
| H.J.Res. 89 (overturn California vehicle-emission waiver) House roll 112 (2025) | Yea | The government should require a rapid shift away from fossil fuels, even at significant cost. |
| H.J.Res. 88 (overturn California zero-emission-vehicle waiver) House roll 114 (2025) | Yea | The government should require a rapid shift away from fossil fuels, even at significant cost. |
| H.R. 26, Protecting American Energy Production Act House roll 35 (2025) | Yea | The government should require a rapid shift away from fossil fuels, even at significant cost. |
| H.J.Res. 87 (overturn California vehicle-emission waiver) House roll 111 (2025) | Yea | Environmental regulations on business should be reduced to boost economic growth. |
| H.J.Res. 89 (overturn California vehicle-emission waiver) House roll 112 (2025) | Yea | Environmental regulations on business should be reduced to boost economic growth. |
| H.J.Res. 88 (overturn California zero-emission-vehicle waiver) House roll 114 (2025) | Yea | Environmental regulations on business should be reduced to boost economic growth. |
| H.J.Res. 35 (overturn EPA methane-emissions fee rule) House roll 52 (2025) | Yea | Environmental regulations on business should be reduced to boost economic growth. |
| S.J.Res. 28 (overturn CFPB rule on large payment apps) House roll 95 (2025) | Nay | Regulations on business should be minimized whenever possible. |
| S.J.Res. 18 (overturn CFPB overdraft-fee rule) House roll 96 (2025) | Nay | Regulations on business should be minimized whenever possible. |
| H.J.Res. 72 (end the February 1, 2025 emergency used for tariffs) House roll 65 (2026) | Yea | Tariffs can be justified to protect domestic industries. |
| H.J.Res. 72 (end the February 1, 2025 emergency used for tariffs) House roll 65 (2026) | Yea | Trade policy should prioritize consumer choice over domestic industrial protection. |
| H.R. 2550, Protect America's Workforce Act House roll 332 (2025) | Yea | Workers should have strong legal protections to form and join labor unions. |
| H.R. 3492, Protect Children's Innocence Act House roll 351 (2025) | Yea | Medical gender transition should not be available to minors. |
| H.R. 498, Do No Harm in Medicaid Act House roll 362 (2025) | Yea | Medical gender transition should not be available to minors. |
| H.Con.Res. 64 (remove U.S. forces from unauthorized hostilities against Venezuela) House roll 346 (2025) | Nay | Foreign wars should be avoided unless national territory is directly threatened. |
| H.Con.Res. 68 (remove U.S. forces from Venezuela without congressional authorization) House roll 48 (2026) | Yea | Foreign wars should be avoided unless national territory is directly threatened. |
| H.Con.Res. 38 (remove U.S. forces from unauthorized hostilities in Iran) House roll 85 (2026) | Nay | Foreign wars should be avoided unless national territory is directly threatened. |
| H.Con.Res. 40 (War Powers: Iran) House roll 114 (2026) | Yea | Foreign wars should be avoided unless national territory is directly threatened. |
| H.Con.Res. 75 (War Powers: Iran) House roll 170 (2026) | Yea | Foreign wars should be avoided unless national territory is directly threatened. |
| H.Con.Res. 86 (War Powers: Iran) House roll 199 (2026) | Yea | Foreign wars should be avoided unless national territory is directly threatened. |
| H.Con.Res. 89 (War Powers: Iran) House roll 282 (2026) | Yea | Foreign wars should be avoided unless national territory is directly threatened. |
| H.Con.Res. 93 (War Powers: Iran) House roll 307 (2026) | Yea | Foreign wars should be avoided unless national territory is directly threatened. |
| H.R. 2913, Ukraine Support Act House roll 207 (2026) | Yea | Military aid to countries resisting invasion is worth the cost. |
Votes from the official House Clerk and Senate roll-call records.
Checked against their own statements
- H.R. 1: "I voted against this bill because I believe it would harm families in my district"; "No fiscally responsible budget adds \$3.8 trillion to the national debt"; cites lost health coverage (2025-05-22) source
- H.Con.Res.: After voting no in March, said he would now support the resolution: "Strength and destruction are not the same." (2026-04-08) source
Documented positions
- Abortion should be illegal in most or all cases.: Backed a 20-week abortion ban and sponsored protections for infants who survive abortions. source
- Courts should be able to temporarily take guns from people judged dangerous, before any crime is committed.: Backs background checks on every gun sale and transfer. source
- Immigrants who have lived in the country for years without legal status should be allowed to stay permanently.: Voted to legalize DREAMers through military service; backs deporting foreign criminals. source
- Cutting taxes is generally better for the economy than increasing public spending.: Argues that cutting tax rates balloons the deficit. source
- Workers should have strong legal protections to form and join labor unions.: Supports keeping right-to-work laws. source
- Military power should be used proactively when serious external threats are emerging.: Backed requiring congressional approval for military force against Iran. source
- Families should be able to use public education funding at privately run schools.: Opposed private and religious school vouchers. source
DW-NOMINATE first dimension: -0.225 (from 566 votes; Voteview). Lane used for estimates: Moderate Democrat.
Closest ideologies
Third Way96% similar positionRadical Centrism94% similar positionDemocratic Technocracy92% similar positionModerate Liberalism92% similar positionCivic Republicanism91% similar position
Similar and contrasting figures
Bill Clinton95% similar · US politiciansMark Carney93% similar · Historical and internationalEmmanuel Macron92% similar · Historical and internationalChuck Schumer92% similar · US politiciansAngela Merkel92% similar · Historical and internationalAdolf HitlerContrasting: 49% similarKim Jong UnContrasting: 50% similarFrancisco FrancoContrasting: 50% similar
Sources
Profile last reviewed October 20, 2026.