Democrat Bobby Pulido flipped the seat representing Texas’ 15th Congressional District, unseating incumbent Monica De La Cruz (R).
Pulido defeated De La Cruz with 62.3% of the vote, while De La Cruz secured 37.7%. The contested seat represents a large Hispanic voter base in the Rio Grande Valley, an area that has previously leaned Democratic.
Rep. De La Cruz was the lone Republican representing a Rio Grande Valley district prior to the election. In 2024, President Donald Trump won the district by 18 points.
"Tonight, voters across our country have spoken, and we should listen," De La Cruz said in a social media post after her loss was called. "Representing South Texas has been the greatest honor of my life, and I am proud of what we delivered for our community."
Rep. De La Cruz has held the seat for four years as a moderate Republican candidate. As President Donald Trump’s popularity waned over the war in Iran and the immigration crackdown, her campaign sought to appeal to voters wary of aggressive enforcement while maintaining support for border security.
"That work now passes to Bobby Pulido, whom I called this evening," Rep. De La Cruz said. "Thank you for letting me serve you. God bless you."
Like De La Cruz, Pulido also leaned into a more moderate campaign. The Latin Grammy-winning Tejano singer emphasized that he supports gun rights and border security while also backing expanded social welfare programs.
“I’m a Democrat, but that doesn’t mean I’ll fall in line," Pulido said during a campaign event. “As a Democrat, I think we should listen to the people. They’ve been screaming at us, telling us what they want us to fix.”
This story will be updated as additional results and developments become available.
