Texas GOP lawmaker's attack on opponent's musical career backfires spectacularly

A Republican congresswoman in South Texas disparaged her Democratic opponent's musical career — and he hit back without breaking a stride.

The Texas GOP has repeatedly gerrymandered Texas' 15th congressional district, which stretches from the city of Seguin just south of Austin to McAllen on the southern border, to elect Republicans, and Rep. Monica De La Cruz has represented the district since 2023. She faces an unusually tough challenge this year from Bobby Pulido, a legendary Latin Grammy-winning Tejano singer.

In an interview last week, De La Cruz slammed Pulido as unqualified for politics, saying, “This election isn’t about who you want performing at your niece’s quinceañera. It’s about who you trust with your family’s future. After years of neglect, South Texas finally has a seat at the table and we’re not going to jeopardize that.”

This week, Pulido hit back, turning De La Cruz's disparaging remark about quinceañeras into voter outreach, suggesting he would actually perform at any that might be about to happen in the district.

In a Spanish-language post to X, Pulido stated, "My opponent said that my place is playing at quinceañeras. For me, that's an honor. Quinceañeras represent family, tradition, and community. That's exactly what this campaign is all about. Having one soon in District 15? Send me a direct message."

South Texas has historically been a Democratic stronghold. President Donald Trump managed to make major inroads in 2024, winning heavily Hispanic urban communities on the border. However, Texas Republicans are fearful those gains are under threat, as huge numbers of Hispanic voters throughout the state turned out to back Democratic Senate candidate James Talarico, who has campaigned alongside Pulido at events in border communities.