Democrat Bobby Pulido, a Latin Grammy-winning Tejano singer making his first run for office, defeated two-term Republican U.S. Rep. Monica De La Cruz on Nov. 3 in Texas’ 15th Congressional District, flipping the seat back to Democratic control.
With 99% of expected votes reported (an estimated 1,100 remaining), Pulido led with 126,204 votes (62.3%) to De La Cruz’s 76,305 (37.7%), for a total of 202,509 votes, according to unofficial results. The Associated Press and other outlets called the race for Pulido on election night. De La Cruz conceded and said she had called her opponent.
In Hidalgo County, which anchors the district’s southern end and is home to both candidates, Pulido won decisively with 100,719 votes (74.4%) to De La Cruz’s 34,701 (25.6%), with 99% of the county’s votes counted.
In a statement posted on X, De La Cruz said: “Tonight, voters across our country have spoken, and we should listen. Representing South Texas has been the greatest honor of my life, and I am proud of what we delivered for our community. That work now passes to Bobby Pulido, whom I called this evening. Thank you for letting me serve you. God bless you.”
Pulido, a native of Edinburg, celebrated with supporters in his hometown. In a statement, he said: “For over 30 years, you played my music at your weddings, your quinceañeras, and your carne asadas, and the past year you welcomed me into those same celebrations on the campaign trail. Tonight, you trusted me with something even bigger than a song, you trusted me with your future and I will work hard everyday to honor it.”
The majority-Hispanic district stretches from the Rio Grande Valley and Hidalgo County northward through more rural areas toward New Braunfels, eastern San Antonio suburbs, and parts of the Coastal Bend near Corpus Christi. Texas Republicans redrew the state’s congressional map in 2025 after strong GOP performance among Latino voters in 2024. President Trump carried the district by roughly 18 percentage points that year. De La Cruz had made history in 2022 as the first Republican elected to a full U.S. House term representing the Rio Grande Valley area since the district’s creation in 1903; she won reelection in 2024 by 14 points.
Pulido, known for decades of Tejano music, ran as a self-described “conservative Democrat” focused on kitchen-table issues including high costs, health care, and the local economic effects of immigration enforcement. He gained attention for performing at dozens of quinceañeras on the campaign trail after De La Cruz suggested the race was not about “who you want performing at your niece’s quinceañera.” He also won Hidalgo County and overperformed prior Democratic results in more rural parts of the district.
The result is a significant setback for Republicans, who had hoped the new map would expand their gains in South Texas. It forms part of a broader Democratic night in Texas, with the party flipping several statewide offices and making gains in other races.
All results remain unofficial until certified. The seat had been one of the most closely watched House races in the country.
