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At a Friday night block party celebrating the music of Ruben Naranjo Sr., Democratic congressional candidate Bobby Pulido took the stage. He didn’t deliver a campaign speech. He sang his hits to an adoring crowd.
But as the Latin Grammy-winning Tejano singer performed, campaign volunteers handed out T-shirts, buttons, caps and yard signs that urged voters to support Pulido in the race for Congress in the 15th Congressional District.
Pulido is seeking to unseat incumbent Republican U.S. Rep. Monica De La Cruz. And he is drawing support from fans who have known his family’s music for decades.
“His dad played at my wedding, so that’s how we know Bobby,” said Enrique Gonzalez, a concertgoer. “I think he has a real good chance of winning.”
“He’s representing all of us,” said Gonzalez.
The race for Texas’ 15th Congressional District is a test of whether Republicans can maintain the support that helped propel their gains among South Texas Latino voters two years ago.
De La Cruz is seeking a third term. Pulido is making his first run for public office.
The district stretches about 300 miles from the Rio Grande Valley into the Coastal Bend and to rural counties east of San Antonio. About 81% of its population is Hispanic. In 2024, the district voted for President Donald Trump by roughly 18 percentage points.
Pulido describes himself as an old-school Democrat. He said he’s conservative on social issues but supportive of policies that help working families. He said his interest in politics predates his recording career.
“Before there was music, there was also Bobby, the studious student,” Pulido said. “Actually studied political science at St. Mary’s University in San Antonio. And, you know, I wanted to be a lawyer.”
A record deal put those ambitions on hold. Pulido said De La Cruz’s election in 2022 eventually helped motivate him to run.
“I’m one of her constituents and I did not like that,” he said. “So either I was going to be somebody that was going to sit on the sidelines and complain, or I was going to do something about it.”
Many voters at the Alice event expressed frustration with rising prices and the Trump administration’s mass deportation policies. Whether those concerns translate into enough votes for Pulido remains a central question of the campaign.
On Saturday, De La Cruz campaigned in Cuero, a Republican stronghold in the district’s northern portion. The town’s annual Turkeyfest included a turkey race and gave De La Cruz an opportunity to ask voters to send her back to Washington to continue supporting Trump in Congress.
A former insurance agent and strong Trump supporter, De La Cruz backs the president’s mass deportation agenda and border security policies. She says tax relief is part of her response to voters’ concerns about affordability.
“People are talking about affordability,” she said. “They know that under the previous administration, we had historic inflation. That inflation is going down. But let’s be honest, there’s still a lot of work to do.”
De La Cruz pointed to tax changes passed by Congress.
“I’ve brought home to my community no tax on tips, no tax on overtime, no tax on Social Security for all of those abuelitos out there that are depending on their Social Security check,” she said.
Taxes do remain for tips, overtime and Social Security, but under H.R. 1, also known as the “One Big Beautiful Bill,” new deductions are available.
Qualifying tips and overtime pay are eligible for temporary federal income tax deductions, subject to limits. The law also provides an additional deduction of up to $6,000 for eligible taxpayers age 65 and older, with income restrictions. It does not eliminate federal taxation of Social Security benefits.
Republican political strategist Mike Madrid said dissatisfaction with Trump could create an opening for Democrats among Latino voters. But he cautioned that a shift away from Republicans does not necessarily mean lasting allegiance to the Democratic Party.
“This is the least partisan group in America, the last real swing voter, and they’re motivated overwhelmingly by economics,” Madrid said.
He argues that both parties struggle to understand Latino voters, leaving their concerns inadequately addressed even as their votes become increasingly consequential.
In the 15th District, Pulido is betting that his familiarity with those voters can help overcome the district’s recent Republican lean. De La Cruz is betting that her record and support for Trump will keep them in her corner.
Early voting runs Oct. 19–30. Election Day is Nov. 3.
