Jay Furman, a retired Navy officer, won the Republican nomination in November to challenge embattled Rep. Henry Cuellar of South Texas, according to The Associated Press.
Mr. Furman defeated his challenger, Lazaro Garza Jr., a rancher, in a runoff after the two emerged as the top vote-getters in a crowded March primary. Mr. Cuellar, a centrist Democrat, is still expected to win reelection in Texas' 28th Congressional District. But the terrain has become slightly more favorable for Republicans after Mr. Cuellar was indicted this month on federal charges of bribery and money laundering.
Mr. Cuellar and his wife, Imelda Cuellar, are accused of taking at least $598,000 over seven years from a Mexican bank and an oil company owned by the government of Azerbaijan, according to the federal indictment. He has denied any wrongdoing.
In his district, which stretches from his hometown of Laredo and the southern U.S. border to the eastern suburbs of San Antonio, Mr. Cuellar is considered an institution. He has powerful allies on both sides of the aisle and has survived two tough Democratic primaries. Even former President Donald J. Trump — who is on trial on charges that he falsified corporate records — has come to his defense, arguing that Mr. Cuellar a target of the Biden administration because he supports a strict border policy.
Mr. Cuellar's fundraising efforts have dwarfed those of his Republican opponent. By the end of March, Mr. Cuellar had raised nearly $2 million and had more than $415,000 cash on hand. According to the latest federal filings for each campaign, Mr. Furman raised just under $195,500 in May and had roughly $2,013 cash on hand.
Still, Mr. Furman is betting that the charges against Mr. Cuellar have improved his chances. Election forecasters Cook Political Report and Sabato's Crystal Ball have both shifted their ratings for the general election from likely Democratic to leaning Democratic.
Mr. Furman, who grew up in Austin and lives in San Antonio, served in the military for nearly 30 years before returning to Texas. Like Mr. Garza, he has made immigration central to his campaign. He echoes Trump's inflammatory rhetoric and calls for tough measures, including mass deportations. On his website he has also promised to tackle inflation, empower small businesses and block 'woke' madness.
In an interview, Mr. Furman argued that the charges against Mr. Cuellar were “exactly in line with what people have come to expect from the Cuellar dynasty.” But he also echoed Mr. Trump in his criticism of the Justice Department, which he said had been weaponized against conservatives.
“My goal is to draw attention not only to his allegations,” he said, “but also to our Justice Department's arbitrary and capricious enforcement of the law.”