Democrats recruit Tejano star for South Texas House seat

Jan 13, 2025

TOP LINE

Democrats may have found a way to fix their struggles in the Rio Grande Valley: draft a Tejano music superstar.

Bobby Pulido, an award-winning singer-songwriter with a devoted following throughout the Southwest, is being heavily recruited to challenge Republican Rep. Monica De La Cruz in Texas’ 15th district. And Democrats involved in South Texas politics expect him to jump in after he wraps his farewell tour, according to two people familiar with the recruiting effort, granted anonymity to discuss party dynamics. Pulido himself said late last year that he plans to retire from music and enter politics — though he did not reveal for what position he would run.

Bobby Pulido performs on day 1 of the People en Espanol 2013 festival.

Bobby Pulido performs on day 1 of the People en Espanol 2013 festival at the Alamodome on Aug. 31, 2013 in San Antonio. | J. Michael Short/Invision/AP

Texas Democrats have lost ground during the last few years as President-elect Donald Trump has surged in popularity along the border. De La Cruz flipped the district in 2022, which stretches from McAllen north toward San Antonio. It has only grown redder since Trump's 3-point win there in 2020 ballooned to a roughly 18-point victory in 2024. But Democrats believe they can retake the seat with a gold-star recruit — and that Pulido fits the bill.

“I have strongly encouraged Bobby to run for Texas 15," said former Democratic Rep. Filemon Vela, who represented a neighboring district until 2022. "His professional popularity, his political acumen and his center-right disposition make him the ideal candidate for that district. The Democratic Party needs to start getting smart about the candidates that we put forth. Bobby will take that seat back.”

(Efforts to reach Pulido via an intermediary were unsuccessful.)

Democrats expect him to stake out middle-of-the-road positions on key issues such as immigration and oil and gas industry policies. He would enter the race with high name recognition coming off of a successful music career — he played the half-time show on Saturday for the Houston Texans NFL playoff game.

De La Cruz, a former insurance agent, twice beat Democrat Michelle Vallejo for the district. A progressive Democrat during her first run in 2022, Vallejo made a pivot to the right on immigration when she tried again two years later, angering former supporters. She lost by 14 points last November.

Texas's 15th District is sandwiched between the seats of Democratic Reps. Henry Cuellar and Vicente Gonzalez. Both won reelection in 2024, but saw their district shift double-digit margins to the right at the presidential level. Some Democrats believe that realignment is temporary and driven by Trump's popularity. But others, including Gonzalez and Cuellar, have warned that national Democrats’ liberal positions on social issues, such as abortion and trans rights, don't play well in the heavily Catholic Rio Grande Valley.

Party recruiters believe Pulido will help revive Democrats' fortunes and mount a campaign that will appeal to voters in the district. A native of Edinburg, Texas, he is the son of a Tejano artist and followed his father into the music industry. He won his first Latin Grammy in 2022.

"Growing up I was always intrigued by the idea of public service,” he said in an emotional livestream announcing his planned retirement last November. “In 2026 I'll be running for public office in the attempt to fulfill my lifelong dream to serve my people."

Happy Monday. Thanks to Daniella Diaz for her help on today’s Topline. Call me, beep me at amutnick@politico.com and find me on X at @allymutnick.

Days until the 2025 election: 295

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CAMPAIGN INTEL

JUMPING IN — Rep. Cory Mills (R-Fla.) said he plans to run in the 2026 Florida Senate special election — even if Gov. Ron DeSantis picks someone else to take the seat until then, POLITICO’s Gary Fineout reports. Sen. Marco Rubio (R-Fla.) is set to resign soon to become secretary of State, and DeSantis’ pick will hold the seat until that special election.

Mills: “You can probably guarantee my hat is going to be thrown in the ring for 2026.”

KEYSTONE STATE — Rep. Dan Meuser (R-Pa.) said he is seriously considering challenging Democratic Gov. Josh Shapiro in 2026, per The Hill’s Emily Brooks and Julia Manchester. “I mean if I get in it’s because I think I can win and that means beating the incumbent, which is Josh Shapiro. So it’s no easy task,” he said.

KNIVES OUT — “Candidates vying to lead the Democratic National Committee have found a common enemy: the D.C. consultant,” per POLITICO’s Elena Schneider, Lisa Kashinsky and Adam Wren. The candidates clashed Saturday at the first DNC-sanctioned forum for the chair race.

VOTE BY MAIL — “Republicans made almost universal gains in mail voting during the 2024 election, eroding a key Democratic advantage in nearly every state that tracks party registration, according to a data analysis by The New York Times.” Significant inroads came “in battleground states like Pennsylvania, red states like Florida and blue states like Connecticut,” per The Times’ Nick Corasaniti. “Democrats do still enjoy an overall advantage in mail voting in many states, including Pennsylvania and New Mexico, even with the Republican improvements.” But the reversal of fortunes for the GOP is notable because of Trump’s vocal skepticism of the practice.

POLL POSITION

VA-Gov — Former Rep. Abigail Spanberger (D-Va.) and Lt. Gov. Winsome Earle-Sears are in a close contest, 47 to 44 percent, with 9 percent undecided in a Mason-Dixon poll of the Virginia governor’s race. Earle-Sears was at 46 percent to 44 percent for Rep. Bobby Scott (D-Va.), who has not entered the race, with 10 percent undecided. The poll of 625 registered voters was conducted Dec. 15-19 with a margin of error of +/- 4 percentage points.

CODA — QUOTE OF THE DAY: “I’ve gotten a lot of feedback on my KFC/Taco Bell order from the Post story and I just want to clarify: I don’t eat that meal every night.” — Rep. Sarah McBride (D-Del.), after a profile in The Washington Post revealed her order. (“Nachos and cheese, four hard tacos, one soft Taco Supreme, three crispy drumsticks and an eight-piece chicken tender thing.”)

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