Bobby Pulido, the Democrat and Latin Grammy-winning Tejano singer, ousted Rep. Monica De La Cruz (R-TX) in Texas’s battleground 15th Congressional District despite it being redrawn by state Republicans in their favor.
The Associated Press called the race for Pulido at 12:37 p.m. He had 61.6% to De La Cruz’s 38.4% with 89% of the vote counted.
The newly drawn district favored Republicans and would have voted for President Donald Trump in 2024 by 18 points if it had existed. Yet, polls showed a close contest, with De La Cruz running in territory she had previously not represented.
First elected in 2022, De La Cruz secured a second term in 2024 by a 14-point margin.
But Pulido proved to be a strong fundraiser with an established brand, but he also faced attacks from Republicans.
GOP’S TEXAS REDISTRICTING GAMBLE CREATES SURPRISE TOSS-UP IN TRUMP +18 DISTRICT
The Democrat faced criticism after reports surfaced that he had performed and toured alongside Frankie Caballero, a registered sex offender. Caballero was convicted of sexual contact with an 8-year-old girl in 2014 and sentenced to four years in prison. Pulido’s campaign said he was unaware of the charges at the time they appeared together.
Republicans sought to make Pulido’s history a central part of their campaign in the lead-up to Election Day.
Lauren Green contributed to this story.