Bobby Pulido flips South Texas seat, defeating Monica De La Cruz

Tejano singer Bobby Pulido defeated Republican Rep. Monica De La Cruz in Texas’s 15th Congressional District on November 3, taking a seat Democrats had targeted after the region shifted toward Republicans in 2024. With 89% of votes counted, Pulido led 61.6% to De La Cruz’s 38.4%, and the Associated Press called the race for him.

The district runs from Hidalgo County and the Rio Grande Valley, extending north across South Texas, including parts of Corpus Christi. Republicans redrew Texas’s congressional map last year; the new district would have favored Donald Trump by 18 percentage points in the 2024 presidential election. De La Cruz, first elected in 2022, was seeking a third House term.

Pulido, a Latin Grammy-nominated performer, campaigned as a “conservative Democrat,” emphasizing high costs, health care and the effects of immigration enforcement on local families and businesses. He also distanced himself from some national Democratic positions, including the Biden administration’s border policy.

A remark from De La Cruz about who voters might want at a quinceañera became a campaign opening for Pulido. He performed at dozens of the celebrations during the campaign, saying they helped him meet working-class voters. Republicans also made his past performances with registered sex offender Frankie Caballero a focus of attack ads; Pulido’s campaign said he did not know of Caballero’s charges when they appeared together.

De La Cruz highlighted her work on Social Security and Medicare and her support for extending Affordable Care Act premium subsidies. She also criticized Pulido as part of a South Texas political network. Pulido won Hidalgo County and outperformed previous Democratic candidates in several rural counties. He is set to join the Democratic House caucus in January.

Voters reject GOP’s South Texas map and immigration crackdown

South Texas voters handed Democrats a major pickup on November 3, choosing Tejano singer Bobby Pulido over Republican Rep. Monica De La Cruz in a district Republicans had redrawn to strengthen their position. With 89% of votes counted, Pulido led 61.6% to 38.4%.

The result challenged the assumption that a district projected to favor Donald Trump by 18 points in 2024 would remain safely Republican. The 15th District runs from Hidalgo County and the Rio Grande Valley, stretching north across South Texas, and includes parts of Corpus Christi. De La Cruz was seeking a third term after winning the seat in 2022.

Pulido put the economic pressure facing local families and the effects of immigration enforcement raids on families and small businesses at the center of his campaign. He also stressed health care and presented himself as a “conservative Democrat,” distancing himself from parts of the national party’s agenda. His campaign reached voters at dozens of quinceañeras after De La Cruz’s comment about the kind of performer voters might want at one.

De La Cruz highlighted her record of working to safeguard Social Security and Medicare, along with her vote to extend enhanced Affordable Care Act subsidies. But she also campaigned with Trump, as his hardline immigration policies faced backlash in the region. Pulido won Hidalgo County and exceeded past Democratic performances in several rural counties. He is expected to take his seat in January.

South Texas elects a conservative Democrat after GOP missteps

Bobby Pulido’s victory over Rep. Monica De La Cruz on November 3 is a warning that Republicans cannot count on South Texas voters simply because the district favored Donald Trump by 18 points in 2024. With 89% of votes counted, Pulido led 61.6% to 38.4% in the race for the 15th Congressional District.

Pulido, a Tejano singer who called himself a “conservative Democrat,” made a point of separating himself from the national party on matters such as the Biden administration’s approach to the border and divisive cultural debates. He framed his campaign around high costs, health care and the impact of immigration enforcement in the region, while speaking about economic opportunity in aspirational terms.

De La Cruz, first elected in 2022, stressed her support for Social Security and Medicare and had voted with Democrats to extend enhanced Affordable Care Act premium subsidies. She also said the deportation strategy should be more focused on criminals. Yet she campaigned with Trump and faced a district reshaped by redistricting, with much of its electorate unfamiliar to her.

Pulido turned a campaign jab about quinceañera performances into a way to meet voters, appearing at dozens of celebrations. Republicans also highlighted his past performances with registered sex offender Frankie Caballero; Pulido’s campaign said he did not know about Caballero’s charges at the time. Pulido won Hidalgo County and ran ahead of earlier Democratic candidates in several rural counties. He is set to join the Democratic caucus in January.