Not every candidate for Congress would be welcome at a quinceañera. Then again, most candidates are not Bobby Pulido, the Latin Grammy-winning Tejano singer. Shortly after Pulido won his primary to be the Democratic nominee for Texas's 15th district, his Republican opponent, Rep. Monica De La Cruz, remarked that "this election isn't about who you want performing at your niece's quinceañera," referencing the traditional Hispanic celebration for a girl's 15th birthday. In response, Pulido issued an open invitation to perform at quinceañeras across the district, which spans the Texas-Mexico border.
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"My schedule on weekends is crazy now, with quinceañeras, we've averaged two, sometimes three a night," Pulido told The Independent in April. In addition to these events, he has been invited to a 90-year-old's birthday party and a quinceañera, the male equivalent. Beyond the novelty, Pulido's star power and willingness to leverage it for his campaign could be pivotal in helping Democrats win back the House of Representatives and, more importantly, Hispanic voters.
Prior to his congressional run, Pulido enjoyed a illustrious music career, winning two Latin Grammy awards for Best Tejano album. Much of the attention in Texas has been on the Senate race between incumbent Sen. John Cornyn and MAGA Attorney General Ken Paxton. However, Democratic Senate nominee James Talarico cannot succeed if Democrats fail to increase their margins with Hispanic voters, who constitute 80 percent of the district.
Buyer's Remorse Among Hispanic Voters
Pulido believes he can win back Hispanic voters who briefly supported Donald Trump in 2024. "I think people right now are very disappointed with this administration, there's a lot of buyer's remorse, because people are still seeing what it really means," he said. Tejano music, almost exclusively sung in Spanish, blends mariachi with blues and polka, reflecting German influence in Texas. Pulido has won the Latin Grammy for Best Tejano album twice.
His interest in politics dates back to his studies in political science at St. Mary's University before he left to pursue singing. "I reached a point in my career that I said, 'you know, I want to try to help my people and represent them,'" he explained.
Democrats' Challenge with Hispanic Voters
Democrats' struggle with Hispanic voters is significant. Despite Trump's harsh rhetoric about Mexican-Americans and his policy of family separation, he gained ground with Hispanic voters in 2020, especially in the Rio Grande Valley, where most residents are Hispanic or Tejano. In 2024, Trump improved his margins and flipped the region. "So it's in our DNA to try to do better than our parents did," Pulido said. "And a lot of times I think the Democratic Party, first of all, kind of took us for granted."
In 2022, after redistricting, Republicans told Hispanic voters that choosing the GOP would make life more affordable. "People are starting to kind of realize that, okay, there's a lot of things that they have done down here that have just shown that it's anti Latino," Pulido noted, pointing to the Trump administration's targeting of funds for Hispanic-serving institutions and the impact of deportations on small businesses.
Democratic Confidence in Pulido
Democrats are optimistic about Pulido. On Monday, the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee named him one of eight candidates for its "Red to Blue" program. However, work remains: an Economist/YouGov poll found that only 38 percent of Hispanics would vote for a generic Democrat for Congress, compared to 36 percent for a Republican, if the midterm were held today.
Immigration is a key issue. Many Hispanics disapprove of Trump's handling of immigration, but they also disapproved of the spike in immigration during the Biden administration. Many Hispanics work for ICE or CBP, and some Democrats have called for dismantling ICE. Pulido advocates a middle ground: "We don't like a free for all. Nobody's saying open the gates and let everybody come in. But at the end of the day, you have to treat people with dignity. A lot of the people here, including many Border Patrol agents, their grandparents came here illegally."
Pulido also criticized the Trump administration's attempt to end birthright citizenship, noting that over half of Rio Grande Valley residents are U.S. citizens because of it. While Latino voters often prioritize the economy, which helped Trump due to high prices, Pulido sees a connection in the valley. The median income in the 15th district is $62,554, well below the national average of $83,730. "Small businesses relied on people from Mexico bringing their tourist dollars here. That's no longer working," he said.
Democrats hope this will help reverse their fortunes. During the primary, Pulido campaigned with Talarico, who won partly due to his strength with Hispanic voters. "He's running his race, and I'm running mine, and I backed him up. I want him to win," Pulido said. For now, he will continue campaigning at quinceañeras. "I love it, because these are people that in a normal campaign, you're not going to be in front of."
