Tejano singer Bobby Pulido, left, stands with James Talarico, center, and Gina Hinojosa, right, during a rally in Beeville, Texas. Credit: X / Bobby Pulido for Texas

Tejano singer-turned-Democratic congressional candidate Bobby Pulido is surging in the polls, the latest of which shows him leading the GOP incumbent in South Texas’ 15th Congressional District by 13 points.

A survey released Thursday by the House Majority PAC, a political action committee that works to help Democrats get elected, shows the Latin Grammy winner leading Republican U.S. Rep. Monica De La Cruz 54% to 41%.

“The polls confirm what we already know and have felt on the ground since we launched this campaign. South Texas is with us,” Pulido said in a statement. “When I think of the people of South Texas, I think of their courage. They deserve leadership that’s just as courageous as they are – and that is not Monica De La Cruz.”

Even so, it’s probably best to view the new poll with some skepticism.

The House Majority PAC didn’t immediately include vital details, including when the poll was conducted or how many likely Texas voters were surveyed.  

Still, it comes days after the nonpartisan Cook Political Report changed its forecast for the district from “Leans Republican” to a “Toss Up.” That’s significant, considering Trump won the district, which the GOP-controlled Texas Legislature redrew last year, by 18 points in 2024.

“Monica has turned her back on her people, taking votes to cut our healthcare, raise our grocery and gas bills, and make life harder, all while never holding a single town hall to answer for her terrible record,” Pulido said. “South Texans have had enough, and on Nov. 3, they’re going to make that clear.”

While De La Cruz’s track record may not be ideal to some South Texas voters, Pulido’s campaign has also been the target of negative headlines. The singer has a history of crass social media posts, and a convicted sex offender once played in his band.

Even so, attacks from De La Cruz and her allies haven’t stuck as they’d hoped.

Texas voters have until Oct. 5 to update their voter registration in the upcoming 2026 midterms. Early voting runs Oct. 19-30. Election Day is Nov. 3.

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Michael Karlis is a multimedia journalist at the San Antonio Current, whose coverage in print and on social media focuses on local and state politics. He is a graduate of American University in Washington,...