- Share via
Tejano singer Bobby Pulido is taking steps toward a congressional bid in South Texas to challenge Republican Rep. Monica De La Cruz.
On Thursday, Pulido announced that he is launching an exploratory committee to look at “possibly” running as a Democrat for a U.S. Congress position in 2026.
The “Desvelado” singer took to social media to clarify his reasons for his shift away from music and toward politics.
“Many of you know me from my music career, so you know I’m not a career politician, but I’ve always had a desire to serve,” Pulido said in a Thursday Instagram video. “I studied political science at St. Mary’s University [in San Antonio] before I decided to launch a music career. And I’ve chosen to leave the stage to see if I can help make the future a little bit better for our kids and our community.”
The Edinburg, Texas, native took aim at De La Cruz’s management of the Lone Star State’s 15th Congressional District.
“Like a lot of South Texans, I’m tired of watching these folks like Monica De La Cruz go to Washington and put her party before the people,” he said. “She’s made that choice every single time.”
Pulido promised he would listen to the voices of “everyday Texans” regardless of their political affiliations or professions, before saying he is prepping to host “ranch halls” to meet and learn from potential constituents.
The 54-year-old performer will face an uphill battle if his potential campaign takes off as Texas emergency physician Dr. Ada Cuellar launched her campaign as a Democrat for the same congressional seat on July 17.
New data from the Pew Research Center shows that 48% of Latinos voted for President Donald Trump in the 2024 presidential election, a 12% jump from 2020.
Pulido said he got the idea to pursue political office from Lorena Saenz Gonzalez, the wife of Rep. Vicente Gonzalez (D-Texas). She told Pulido she was impressed with his political knowledge and nudged him to consider running for office.
Gonzalez had previously served as the 15th District’s representative but announced in October 2021 that he would run in the 34th District due to the statewide redistricting done by the Texas Legislature in fall 2021. The redistricting was criticized for leading to the dilution of the Latino vote in the region and upheld as a prime example of Republican gerrymandering.
In 2022, De La Cruz became the district’s first Republican representative following the restricting and was reelected in 2024. President Trump also became the first Republican presidential candidate to win the majority of votes in the district in decades during the 2020 election.
Speaking on the redrawing of the 15th District, Pulido was very clear on where he stands.
“I’m not happy with the redistricting. I think it’s cheating, and I don’t think this is what democracy should be like,” he told The Times Friday afternoon. “But at the end of the day, you can draw the lines, but you can’t draw the people.”
One way he aims to focus on the people of the district is through his emphasis on immigration policy.
Democrats from the Texas Legislature met with Gov. Gavin Newsom in Sacramento to discuss President Trump’s push to redistrict the Lone Star State and alter the outcome of the midterm elections.
“Nobody wants to fix it, everybody wants to campaign on it — we absolutely need comprehensive immigration reform,” Pulido said. “We should not have to choose between let them all in or kick them all out. People on both sides have to have the will to actually do something about it.”
He also expressed concern for the struggle of immigrants amid the ongoing Immigration and Customs Enforcement raids happening nationwide.
“They’re ripping people from families, and then, you know, they’re taking even American citizens and detaining them just based on how they look, and so it has to stop,” Pulido said. We have to do something about it, we can’t continue to ignore it, because people are not pawns and that’s what I feel is happening.”
Another major issue for the musician-turned-hopeful-politician is the struggling economy of the Rio Grande Valley.
“I feel the economy and tariffs need to be addressed,” Pulido said. “By all the metrics that we’re seeing, even on a national scale, [the economy] is not well. Inflation is going higher, and I don’t think these [current] policies are what the people expected; it’s not giving us good results.”
Pulido also expressed concern for the state of healthcare in the district, noting that people often prefer to go across the border for medical services.
“We have a lot of people that go get their healthcare in Mexico because it’s more affordable. I’m not talking about a little difference; it’s an astronomical difference,” he said. “It’s just it’s very sad that people have to go to another country to get the healthcare that they can afford, and I feel like special interests have really dug their claws into politicians and they don’t do anything to help the people.”
The “Se Murió de Amor” musician acknowledged that the Democratic Party has failed the district, which has led to Republican gains.
As Texas, under pressure from President Trump, considers redrawing congressional lines to boost GOP numbers in Congress, California considers responding by boosting the state’s Democratic districts.
“I feel like the party’s been a little bit negligent and not really addressing the values that Latinos have,” Pulido explained. “I don’t think the Republicans have done anything special. I don’t think that’s the case, but nonetheless, I think a lot of people down there feel like their vote was taken for granted.”
He explained that he wants to run an “issues-based campaign,” making sure not to run on a platform of “vote for me because I’m famous.”
“We have to really go work on issues that affect everyday people’s lives,” Pulido said. “So that’s what I intend to do, if the people are accepting of me being as a candidate, and we’ll find out with these with these ranch halls.”
In November, Pulido announced that he would be leaving music behind after a 2025 farewell tour to pursue a career in politics.
“To be quite honest, I’m enjoying the most success I’ve ever had. But like the saying goes: All good things must come to an end,” Pulido said last year during a press conference. “Today, I’m announcing my farewell tour for next year. It’s not a decision I have hastily made. I’ve given it a lot of thought. I think my life has reached a full circle.”
He added, “Growing up, public service always intrigued me. I was a Texas Boy Stater in high school and studied political sciences because it was a passion of mine. In 2026, I will be running for office in an attempt to fulfill my lifelong dream: to serve my people.”
The Latinx experience chronicled
Get the Latinx Files newsletter for stories that capture the multitudes within our communities.
You may occasionally receive promotional content from the Los Angeles Times.
