Tejano music star Bobby Pulido flips Texas House seat, ousting Rep. Monica De La Cruz

Democrat Bobby Pulido, a celebrated Tejano music performer, is projected to defeat Republican Rep. Monica De La Cruz in the race for Texas's 15th Congressional District, according to Decision Desk HQ. The result hands Democrats a significant victory in one of the most closely watched House battlegrounds in the country.

Pulido held an advantage in surveys leading up to Election Day, even though the district leans Republican. A Texas Southern University poll conducted in mid-October showed him ahead of De La Cruz, 51 percent to 44 percent.

Voters in the district were already familiar with Pulido long before he launched his campaign, though not because of any political background. He built a celebrated career in Tejano music, earning multiple Latin Grammy awards along the way.

In a 2023 interview with The Hill, Pulido hinted at a possible move into politics ahead of his performance at the Congressional Hispanic Caucus Institute's Awards Gala. His campaign later drew national attention through viral moments, including frequent performances at his own rallies and offers to sing at quinceañeras and other family events for residents across the district. After his long run as a musician, he is now headed to Congress.

De La Cruz, who served two terms, was the first Republican to represent the 15th District since its creation. Democrats had historically dominated politics in Texas's Rio Grande Valley, where the district is located.

South Texas, however, has moved sharply toward Republicans in recent years. A district Democrats once won comfortably swung hard toward the GOP over the past decade, and President Trump carried it by nearly 20 points in 2024.

Pulido's win signals a rebound for Democrats among Latino voters, who account for nearly 80 percent of the district's residents.

Texas sat at the center of the mid-decade redistricting fight that defined the midterm cycle. Republicans redrew five Democratic-held seats in an effort to protect their House majority in 2026, three of them in South Texas. The 15th District was not among those redrawn, but the race gave Democrats one of their few opportunities to push back against the GOP's attempted gains.

Pulido is set to be sworn in on Jan. 3 alongside the rest of the new Congress.