Bobby Pulido scores Texas congressional primary win, secures spot in November election

Carlos De Loera, Los Angeles Times on Mar 4, 2026

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Tejano singer Bobby Pulido’s political dreams live to see another round after securing the Democratic nomination for Texas’ 15th congressional district on Tuesday night.

The “Desvelado” artist garnered over two-thirds of the primary votes in his home district to beat out emergency physician Ada Cuellar.

Tuesday night’s elections were the first since Texas underwent a controversial redistricting last year, which directly led to the redrawing of boundaries in the 15th district.

Pulido will now face off against Republican incumbent Monica De La Cruz in November for the congressional seat.

In 2022, De La Cruz became the district’s first Republican representative following a previous round of redistricting and was reelected in 2024. President Trump also became the first Republican presidential candidate to win the majority of votes in the South Texas district in decades during the 2020 election.

“I want to thank everybody from the bottom of my heart that went out there and supported this campaign,” Pulido said in a post-victory Instagram video. “I won’t let you down, I’m gonna work my butt off and we’re gonna beat Monica De La Cruz and bring back true representation for South Texas.”

The famed songwriter ran on a centrist platform, focusing on affordability and creating a more equitable health care system.

Cuellar had challenged some of Pulido’s views, including abortion, and positioned herself as a true defender of Roe v. Wade. According to the Texas Tribune, the Latin Grammy winner had described himself as “pro-life” but that he sees abortion as “a matter of personal responsibility.”

“My personal stance is my personal stance, but my policy is very different,” Pulido said in a January interview. “My policy is it’s not my place to tell somebody else what they can do.”

In the days leading up to the election, Pulido was joined by prominent Texas Democratic hopefuls James Talarico and Gina Hinojosa at a rally in his home district. Talarico won the Democratic Senate nomination Tuesday night after a tight race with U.S. Rep. Jasmine Crockett. Hinojosa nabbed the Democratic gubernatorial nomination in convincing fashion and will square off against Republican incumbent Greg Abbott in November.

Pulido first announced he was considering a congressional bid in a July Instagram post.

He said he got the idea to pursue political office from Lorena Saenz Gonzalez, the wife of Rep. Vicente Gonzalez, D-Texas. She told Pulido she was impressed with his political knowledge and nudged him to consider running for office.

In an interview with The Times in July, Pulido said he was particularly focused on immigration policy in the South Texas district.

“Nobody wants to fix it, everybody wants to campaign on it — we absolutely need comprehensive immigration reform,” Pulido said. “We should not have to choose between let them all in or kick them all out. People on both sides have to have the will to actually do something about it.”

He was also critical of Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents “ripping people from families.”

Another major issue for the musician-turned-hopeful-politician is the struggling economy of the Rio Grande Valley.

“I feel the economy and tariffs need to be addressed,” Pulido said. “By all the metrics that we’re seeing, even on a national scale, (the economy) is not well. Inflation is going higher, and I don’t think these (current) policies are what the people expected; it’s not giving us good results.”

Affordable health care was another topic of concern for Pulido, who noted that many in his district often crossed the border to get cheaper care in Mexico.

The “Se Murió de Amor” musician acknowledged that the Democratic Party has failed the district, which has led to recent Republican gains.

“I feel like the party’s been a little bit negligent and not really addressing the values that Latinos have,” Pulido explained. “I don’t think the Republicans have done anything special. I don’t think that’s the case, but nonetheless, I think a lot of people down there feel like their vote was taken for granted.”

Pulido also clarified that he wanted to run an “issues-based campaign,” making sure not to run on a platform of “vote for me because I’m famous.”