Latin Grammy–winning Tejano star Bobby Pulido won the Democratic primary for Texas’ 15th Congressional District, defeating emergency physician Ada Cuellar, CBS News projects.
Pulido now faces an uphill climb to unseat Republican incumbent Rep. Monica De La Cruz. The district’s boundaries were redrawn in 2025 as part of mid-decade redistricting efforts — changes requested by President Trump that analysts say further favored Republicans.
De La Cruz flipped the Hispanic-majority seat in 2022 after it had been traditionally Democratic, and former President Trump carried the district by 18 points in 2024. Still, Democrats point to signs of a shift among Latino voters in recent contests nationwide, including gains in deep-red Texas precincts where Democrats had not prevailed in decades.
Strategists on both sides are watching District 15 closely. Party operatives say a successful Democratic bid will require a candidate with strong name recognition and the ability to connect with conservative-leaning Latino voters — qualities Pulido’s campaign argues he possesses.
Pulido’s primary effort received a boost from nearly $1 million in outside spending from the political arm of Blue Dog Action, a moderate group that has targeted competitive races.