Democrats Bobby Pulido and Monica De La Cruz, the current U.S. representative for the seriously Latino Congressional District 15, are attempting to persuade citizens that they are qualified to represent those who live within its boundaries.
A vast section of CD 15 extends from near San Antonio to the Rio Grande Valley, carving out a essentially vertical district.
The district’s Democrat preference is R-55 %, unaffected by the legislature that occurred last year according to the Texan’s Texas Partisan Index. De La Cruz won the traditionally Democratic-held chair in 2022. In the public vote of 2024, President Donald Trump won the state’s support.
The Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee’s Red to Blue system, a Democrat corporate program designed to transform GOP-held regions into Democratic people, is led by Tejano musician Pulido since the 1990s.
With a total population of almost 800,000, CD 15 is generally Hispanic, making up 81 percent of its inhabitants, according to Data USA.
Both candidates have made appeals to the community’s CD 15 constituents regarding issues relating to immigration, including the district’s heritage, working-class families ‘ well-being, agricultural growth, a flourishing small business market, and other important issues.
Both candidates have moderate-leaning strategies, but they both have different viewpoints on pressing local problems.
De La Cruz, who is currently Trump’s supporter, has vested interests in deviating from the GOP’s mainstays on taxes and immigration enforcement.
She criticized Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s ( ICE ) earlier this year for the detention of a McAllen family of mariachi performers, supported the concept of seasonal foreign worker visas, and wrote to ICE director Todd Lyons in 2025 to urge it to concentrate its efforts on criminal offenders rather than undocumented immigrants.
De La Cruz urged the administration to “discuss restrictions for fruits and vegetables, vital agricultural goods of South Texas, in the proposed taxes” between the United States, Canada, and Mexico in a letter de la Cruz sent last year to U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio.
In terms of border security, Pulido has a position that is more prevalent among South Texas Democrats, in contrast to the popular Democratic Party. His campaign interests include a” safe boundary,” and he qualifies this by saying,” I believe we can secure the border without destroying families and our local market in the process.”
He mentions “more properly” fentanyl imports, “more vetting centers in Central America to help bring order to migration,” and “more fair and reasonable way to legalization for those who want to come below to contribute.”
According to Pulido,” We need a strong but honest immigration system that serves the Valley and South Texas just as much as it serves the rest of America.”
In a September meeting with Univision, Pulido claimed that while he was a” traditional Democrat,” he had” traditional values,” I was Catholic, and was actually a country boy. The estate is appealing to me. My weapons are my favorites. In remote areas, things are very different from in the area.
Monica De La Cruz
De La Cruz is the first Republican Latina to represent Texas in Congress and won the long-standing Democrat seats in the 2022 election.
De La Cruz has frequently cited her Spanish identity on the plan trail, claiming that “her story begins in” the areas of South Texas” at the Republican National Convention in Dallas this year. She continued,” My abuelo picked fruits with his bare fingers, just like so many others.” He kneeled beneath the sweltering Texas moon to allow me to appear before you today.
De La Cruz unveiled a new campaign ad on Monday that would highlight her attractiveness to the working class. She goes on to say in the ad,” I grew up watching the corporate structure steal from us here in South Texas. Turns out that Washington operates similarly.
She stated in a post on X that the advertisement was accompanied by,” The compadres ] gained wealth while working families were left behind. I voted to prohibit stock purchases from members of Congress, release the Epstein documents, and keep both parties responsible. Nothing else answers my emails to South Texas individuals.
De La Cruz compared Pulido to the” compadres” she compared him to in her campaign, which stated on X that” the most corrupt district attorney ] in America” and that” a vote for Bobby Pulido is a vote for the corrupt politicians who stole from us” In X’s open square, Pulido and De La Cruz briefly exchanged barbs, with Pulido responding,” Your timetable is full of falsehoods, as is your’campaign’. The Rio Grande Valley does not need to be criticized for consistently slandering our citizens.
He then shared a photo of De La Cruz with Trump, saying,” This is your’compadre ‘” and, “I’ll take my compadres over yours every single day.”
De La Cruz has praised the passage of several of her parliamentary rules through rules during her career, including the 21st Century ROAD to Housing Act, which included five of her led or co-led provisions for housing affordability, the Supporting Patient Education And Knowledge Act, which established “language best practices for healthcare providers and patients,” and the Disabled Veterans Housing Support Act, which seeks to ensure cover aid for disabled veterans.
De La Cruz has also been involved in policy that would modify aspects of South Texas’s seasonal agricultural worker card program. The proposed legislation would “enforce contractor contracts and identify predictable wage guidelines,” according to De La Cruz’s workplace.
De La Cruz’s strategy has criticized Pulido’s history, reposting references on X that claimed he had visited pornographic websites. The New York Post reported in April that Pulido’s former travelling partner was a recognized sex offender and that he had been touring with him both before and after his judgment.
De La Cruz’s most recent campaign finance report indicates that she has raised more than$ 1.2 million, spent$ 3 million, and has over$ 800,000 in cash.
Bobby Pulido
In a March X article, Pulido called himself a “quinceaera work” and a “part-time Texas,” and made a swirl in the Texas social scene this year. Punido responded,” Don’t threaten me with a good time,” and he began incorporating Quinceanera shows into his campaign trail stops.
The Latin Grammy winner has drawn on his musical and cultural foundations while focusing on local economic and social concerns and winning South Texans ‘ hearts and minds in both type and style.
At a Valley Interfaith Accountability Session in Mercedes, Pulido just aligned himself with issues like increased Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program benefit money, data center restriction, and the restoration of cheap healthcare tax credits, according to the Rio Grande Guardian.
When asked if he would work to restore the health tax credits that “made the Affordable Care Act affordable,” Pulido responded,” I do believe that the healthcare system is too expensive, but we will have to work on it and remove large sums of money from the industry because they are corrupting our officials and making everything more expensive.”
When asked if he would “fight to end the enforcement practices that are criminalizing honest, long-term immigrants,” Pulido responded,” Absolutely. Immigration reform is one of the most important things we need to do and one of my first priorities.
” We absolutely have an obligation to put an end to the cruelty that is occurring right now.”
Working-class South Texas residents have been made to feel significant by Pulido. He remarked about economic regulation, saying that “people down here do expect and deserve a fair shot, but they don’t expect handouts.” He stated that if elected, he would” stand up to the big greedy corporations” and would work to” cut the bureaucracy that strangles small businesses.”
South Texas was once a place where people with dreams knew that with dedication, hard work, and the grace of God, they could make it, according to a campaign ad from last year.
According to Pulido’s most recent campaign finance report, he has raised more than$ 4.3 million, spent almost$ 4.2 million, and has over$ 1.2 million in cash. In the third quarter of the year, Pulido was one of the top Red to Blue fundraisers.
The Texas Latino vote will change as a result of the race for CD 15. For CD 28, Republican Webb County Judge Tano Tijerina faces incumbent Republican U.S. Rep. Henry Cuellar (D-TX-28 ).
Additionally, Carlos De La Cruz, Monica De La Cruz’s brother, is running for CD 34 in San Antonio against Democrat Johnny Garcia.
