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WASHINGTON– Tejano artist Bobby Pulido is competing Texas’ 15th Congressional Area, he introduced Wednesday, providing Democrats their finest– and possibly just– possibility to turn a Republican-held seat in 2026.
Pulido, a vocalist and Edinburg local that has actually been making Tejano songs for 3 years, is going to tackle Rep. Monica De La Cruz, R-Edinburg, in an area that extends from McAllen to Central Texas. It will certainly be an uphill climb for any type of Democrat– the area elected Head of state Donald Trump by an 18% margin in 2015– however his music appeal and South Texas authentic have Democrats amazed concerning his leads.
” I have actually invested years utilizing my voice to bring individuals with each other,” Pulido stated in his launch video clip. “Currently, I’ll utilize it to combat for the area we call home, due to the fact that this is the only phase that actually matters– and it deserves defending.”
Known for hit tracks from the 1990s like “Desvelado” and “Se Murió de Amor”, Pulido is a five-time Latin Grammy candidate and 22-time Tejano Songs Honor candidate, having actually won 8 times early in his profession.
The 15th Congressional Area has actually been Republicans’ best success tale with Texas Latino citizens. After turning the area in 2022, De La Cruz enhanced her margins in 2015, winning by 14 percent factors regardless of financial investment from Democrats in opposition Michelle Vallejo. The area has actually gotten on Democrats’ target listing for the previous 2 cycles, however De La Cruz has actually remained to win easily.
To satisfy De La Cruz in a basic political election, Pulido will certainly initially encounter a main versus Ada Cuellar, a Harlingen emergency situation doctor unconnected to South Texas Rep. Henry Cuellar, D-Laredo.
In a declaration, De La Cruz stated she was concentrated on legislating as opposed to following year’s midterms.
” There will certainly be lots of time for national politics following year,” she stated. “Today, I’m supplying on what South Texans simply chosen me to do: protecting countless bucks to expand our neighborhood economic climate, reinforcing our authorities and boundary safety, conserving our ranches, and shielding Social Safety and Medicare. These are my concerns, and I take pride in the outcomes we have actually attained for our area via sensible management.”
In his launch video clip, Pulido regreted climbing prices, company greed and migration plan that tears households apart and has actually jeopardized the South Texas economic climate. He likewise minimized partisanship, claiming he was neither “Group Red or Group Blue.”
In a meeting, Pulido stated problems differ by area, from water legal rights to the price of healthcare. However he stated he’s listened to a whole lot concerning migration– consisting of from a financial viewpoint– and wishes to make a promote extensive migration reform, paired with getting rid of bad guys in the nation unlawfully, an emphasis of his project. He mentioned lowered tourist from Mexico and a raised society of worry in immigrant neighborhoods as reducing the South Texas economic climate.
” Great deals of farmers that I understand, and individuals in the building sector, as a result of the absence of migration reform, are really annoyed now due to the fact that they do not have individuals to function,” Pulido stated. “They provide individuals even more cash, they do whatever they can. They still can not field a team.”
The Texas Legislature’s mid-cycle redistricting transformed the form of the area rather. The 15th Area currently consists of the southeastern component of Hidalgo Region– consisting of concerning fifty percent of McAllen and cities like Weslaco and Mercedes– rather than the southwestern section. The revise likewise took De La Cruz out of the San Antonio suburban areas, rather including smaller sized Central Texas areas and locations closer to the Gulf consisting of San Patricio Region and components of Refugio Region.
The area’s partisanship is comparable– Trump’s ballot share raised by 1%– however Democrats think its heavily-Latino make-up and weightedness in the direction of South Texas might offer the ideal Democrat a possibility. De La Cruz shed the areas that she did finest in– Guadalupe, Karnes and Wilson– and included the section of Hidalgo Region where McAllen Rep. Vicente Gonzalez, a bordering Democrat, did finest in 2015.
To balance out those locations, the country Central Texas areas that the 15th Congressional Area currently consists of regularly choose Republican politicians by substantial margins.
In a meeting, Pulido stated he had actually invested the summer season, given that creating an exploratory board, taking a trip throughout the area, consisting of to 9 of its 11 areas. He stated he located individuals in Central Texas to be extra open up to his message than he anticipated, which their shared worths exceeded partial distinctions– consisting of in little neighborhoods like Yorktown, in DeWitt Region, where his great-grandmother is from and where 83% of citizens picked Trump in 2024.
” You can gerrymander the area or individuals, however you can not gerrymander Tejano society,” Pulido stated. “Tejano society is where my area actually is, and I seem like I have a whole lot alike with individuals.”
A survey of the area, carried out by Autonomous company Public law Ballot for the Autonomous very political action committee Home Bulk political action committee and shown to The Texas Tribune, located De La Cruz leading Pulido by 3 percent factors, with 21% of citizens uncertain. Carried out recently, the survey’s example of 533 citizens was composed of 42% Republican politicians, 32% Democrats and 26% independents.
Gonzalez, a buddy of Pulido, stated he thinks Hispanic citizens– that compose 75% of the area’s resident ballot age populace– throughout the area will certainly be brought in to the Democrat.
” [De La Cruz] constantly sheds the Valley,” Gonzalez stated. “He’s gon na win large … and after that all those country areas that resemble Tejano, Latino– however even more nation, extra traditional– are mosting likely to like him. He is just one of those prospects that you obtain when every half a century.”
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