Bobby Pulido is a 53-year-old Tejano singer from Edinburg, Texas, who became one of the most searched names in the United States on November 4, 2026, after winning election to the U.S. House of Representatives from Texas’s 15th congressional district. Born José Roberto Pulido Jr. on April 25, 1973, Pulido first became famous in the 1990s as a teen idol of Tejano music, before retiring from music in 2024 to run for public office. On Election Day 2026, he defeated Republican incumbent Monica De La Cruz, a result reported by The New York Times as a Democratic flip of a Texas House seat.
Quick Facts
| Full Name | José Roberto Pulido Jr. |
| Age | 53 years old |
| Born | April 25, 1973, Edinburg, Texas, USA |
| Occupation | Singer; Representative-elect |
| Party | Democratic |
| Known For | Tejano music; winning Texas’s 15th congressional district in 2026 |
| Nationality | American |
Who Is Bobby Pulido?
Bobby Pulido is best known as an American musician and politician. He is credited with expanding the audience for Tejano music among younger listeners, emerging as a teen idol among Mexican-American teenagers in the 1990s and becoming one of Tejano music’s most prominent recording artists. In 2025, he announced that he would run for the U.S. House of Representatives in Texas’s 15th congressional district as a Democrat, and in the 2026 election he defeated the Republican incumbent, Monica De La Cruz. He is scheduled to take office on January 3, 2027.
Pulido’s story is unusual because it spans two very different public lives. For three decades he was a recording artist, actor and live performer, and then, after a farewell tour announced in 2024, he turned to politics, campaigning in South Texas and presenting himself as a conservative Blue Dog Democrat seeking to win back Hispanic voters.
Early Life & Background
José Roberto Pulido Jr. was born on April 25, 1973, in Edinburg, Texas. He is the oldest child of Roberto Pulido, an award-winning Tejano singer, and Diana Montez, daughter of norteño musician Mario Montez of Los Donneños. He attended Edinburg High School, where he joined the school’s mariachi ensemble, before joining his father’s band, Los Clásicos, as a saxophonist and backup vocalist. He later attended St. Mary’s University in Texas, where he studied political science, before leaving college to pursue music full time.
Growing up in a musical family gave Pulido both a training ground and a built-in audience, but it also brought criticism from some Tejano musicians who argued that he was capitalising on his father’s success. His early success answered those doubts, and by the mid-1990s he had established himself in his own right.
Career & Journey
Pulido formed his own band and signed with EMI Latin in May 1995, releasing his debut album, Desvelado, that September. The album peaked at number nine on the Billboard Top Latin Albums chart and number three on the Regional Mexican Albums chart, and was certified platinum in the United States. Its title track established him as a leading Tejano artist, and his second album, Enséñame (1996), peaked at number two on the Regional Mexican Albums chart and earned him nominations for Tejano Music Award Male Entertainer of the Year and Lo Nuestro Award Regional Mexican New Artist of the Year.
In 1998, Pulido performed a sold-out show at the Auditorio Coca-Cola in Monterrey, becoming the first Tejano artist to do so, and he won the Tejano Music Award for Male Entertainer of the Year for three consecutive years. After Tejano music’s popularity waned in the 2000s, his later albums sold less well, and he took a three-year hiatus after Enfermo de Amor (2007), returning with Dias de Ayer in 2010. He also acted, appearing in telenovelas including Fuego en la sangre and Qué pobres tan ricos. At the 2022 Latin Grammy Awards he won Best Tejano Album for Para Que Baile Mi Pueblo, and at the 2025 Latin Grammy Awards he won again in the same category, with a 2026 Grammy nomination for Best Mexican Music Album also to his name.
In politics, Pulido announced his candidacy on September 17, 2025, for Texas’s 15th congressional district. The district had been redrawn in 2025 to become more favourable to Republicans, but on Election Day 2026 Pulido ousted Monica De La Cruz, a result widely reported on November 4, 2026, including by The New York Times and Texas Monthly. He will take office as a member-elect on January 3, 2027, succeeding De La Cruz.
Facts About Bobby Pulido
- Bobby Pulido was born José Roberto Pulido Jr. on April 25, 1973, in Edinburg, Texas, and is 53 years old.
- His debut album, Desvelado (1995), was certified platinum and peaked at number nine on the Billboard Top Latin Albums chart.
- He won Latin Grammy Awards for Best Tejano Album in 2022 and 2025.
- He announced his retirement from music in November 2024 to pursue a career in politics.
- In the 2026 election, Pulido defeated Republican incumbent Monica De La Cruz for Texas’s 15th congressional district and is scheduled to take office on January 3, 2027.
Frequently Asked Questions
How old is Bobby Pulido?
Bobby Pulido is 53 years old, born on April 25, 1973.
What is Bobby Pulido known for?
Bobby Pulido is known as a Tejano singer and as the representative-elect from Texas’s 15th congressional district.
Who did Bobby Pulido defeat in the 2026 election?
Bobby Pulido defeated Republican incumbent Monica De La Cruz in Texas’s 15th congressional district in 2026.
When does Bobby Pulido take office?
Bobby Pulido is scheduled to take office on January 3, 2027.
Where is Bobby Pulido from?
Bobby Pulido is from Edinburg, Texas, USA.
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