Democrat · Texas's 15th District · 2026
Bobby Pulido
Pulido grew up in Edinburg, the son of a farmworker who became a musician.
Biography
Bobby Pulido's name was familiar on Tejano stages long before it appeared on a congressional ballot, with songs such as Desvelado and Se Murió de Amor dating to the 1990s.1 Born and raised in Edinburg, he is the son of a farmworker who became a musician, the father of four sons and a hunter who enjoys being outdoors.2
Pulido studied political science at St. Mary's University before pursuing music and building businesses alongside his performing career.3 His professional record includes Latin Grammy wins for Best Tejano Album in 2022 and 2025, with another nomination in that category for 2026.4 His campaign biography describes nearly three decades of touring while maintaining his home in the Rio Grande Valley.2
His platform favors stronger border security and removal of violent offenders alongside a more workable legalization process and protections for the local economy and immigrant families.5 On health care, he advocates stronger Medicare protections and lower treatment and prescription costs; on water, he calls for desalination, irrigation improvements and enforcement of Mexico's treaty obligations.5 He also opposes school vouchers and proposes greater investment in teachers and job training.5
Pulido is challenging Republican Monica De La Cruz in a district redrawn for this election to include different portions of Hidalgo County and additional rural communities.1 The contest tests whether his cultural familiarity and economic message can overcome the Republican gains that put De La Cruz in office in 2022 and kept her there in 2024.1
Record and controversies
Former bandmate
The Texas Tribune documented Pulido performing with accordionist Frankie Caballero at a 2018 middle school benefit after Caballero’s 2014 conviction for indecent sexual contact with a child.6 Concert footage showed them performing together as recently as 2021.6 Pulido’s campaign said management hired Caballero as a contractor without a background check, cut ties after learning of domestic abuse in 2021, and learned of his sex offender status only from 2026 reporting.6 Caballero’s conviction is not a conviction of Pulido.6