FRIO COUNTY, Texas – Cecilia Castellano, who has been charged in connection with a vote harvesting scandal in Frio County, announced her candidacy to be the state representative for District 80 in 2026.
This is not Castellano’s first bid for this specific seat in the state House.
Recommended Videos
In 2024, she defeated Rosie Cuellar — sister of U.S. Rep. Henry Cuellar — in the Democratic primary to represent the party in the general election against former Uvalde Mayor Don McLaughlin. McLaughlin, a Republican, generated 60% of the vote to win the seat in November 2024.
District 80 covers all or portions of the following counties: Atascosa, Dimmit, Frio, Uvalde, Webb and Zavala.
“I am not a career politician — I am a community member who has spent years working hard for District 80,” Castellano told KSAT in a Thursday morning statement, in part. ”I’ve been on the ground, in our neighborhoods, talking to families, listening to their concerns, and advocating for real change. That is why I’m running — because our district deserves a fighter who won’t back down.”
Vote harvesting scandal
Castellano is one of 15 suspects charged in connection with a vote harvesting scandal that originated in Frio County.
In May 2025, KSAT Investigates broke the news of the first six arrests, which included the following prominent Frio County elected officials:
- Frio County Judge Rochelle Camacho on three counts of vote harvesting
- Pearsall City Councilmember Ramiro Trevino on one count of vote harvesting
- Pearsall Independent School District board member Adriann Ramirez on three counts of vote harvesting
- Former Frio County Elections Administrator Carlos Segura on one count of tampering with evidence
- Pearsall City Councilmember Racheal Garza on one count of vote harvesting
- Rosa Rodriguez, who the 81st Judicial District Attorney said is an alleged vote harvester, on two counts of vote harvesting
81st Judicial District Attorney Audrey Gossett Louis confirmed the following people, along with Castellano, were indicted on June 30, 2025, in connection with the vote harvesting investigation.
- Former Bexar County Democratic Party Chair and former San Antonio mayoral candidate Juan Manuel Medina on two counts of vote harvesting
- Former Pearsall Mayor Petra Davina Trevino on one count of vote harvesting
- Former Dilley council member Inelda Rodriguez on three counts of vote harvesting
- Former Dilley Mayor Mary Ann Obregon on two counts of vote harvesting
- Rachel Leal on one count of vote harvesting
- Susanna Flores Carrizales on one count of vote harvesting
- Precinct 3 Frio County Commissioner Raul Carrizales III on one count of vote harvesting
- Pearsall ISD Board Secretary Maricela Garcia Benavides on one count of vote harvesting
According to indictments obtained by KSAT, Castellano is facing two counts of vote harvesting.
‘I refuse to be silenced’
In her Thursday statement to KSAT, Castellano maintained innocence of her charges.
“What Republicans are calling ‘vote harvesting’ is simply what Democrats — and grassroots movements across this country — call democracy: block walking, knocking on doors, and talking directly with voters,” Castellano said, in part. “Those are the fundamentals of civic engagement, and they are now trying to criminalize them.”
She also viewed the charges as “political targeting” coming from the state Capitol in Austin.
“Attorney General Ken Paxton has consistently weaponized his office, going after me, Beto O’Rourke, and Democrats across Texas,” Castellano said, in part. “This is not about justice — it is about intimidation. It is about silencing voices that threaten the status quo. But I refuse to be silenced.”
Castellano’s candidacy and the charges
Due to Castellano’s vote harvesting charges, KSAT reached out to the Frio County District Clerk’s Office on Thursday to learn if the case would impact her candidacy for the state House.
The district clerk’s office confirmed to KSAT that Castellano’s charges remain active. After appearing in court in October and November, she and the 14 others charged in connection with the scandal will make their next court appearance on March 12, 2026.
The Democratic and Republican primaries in Texas are scheduled for March 3, 2026 — nine days before Castellano’s appearance in court.
According to the Texas Secretary of State’s Office, candidates running in either party’s primary must file an application between Nov. 8, 2025, and 6 p.m. on Dec. 8, 2025.
Read more reporting on the KSAT Investigates page.
More coverage of this story on KSAT: