Bobby Pulido speaks to reporters at his election night watch party on Nov. 3, 2026. Berenice Garcia/The Texas Tribune

Talking to reporters after his victory speech, Bobby Pulido said he hadn’t spoken to U.S. Rep. Monica De La Cruz but that he had no ill will toward her. However, he said he doesn’t think her campaign ever recovered after he started performing at quinceañeras in response to her comment stating he was only fit for those types of events.

“I think she kind of was responsible for her own undoing,” Pulido said.

Berenice Garcia is a regional reporter covering the Rio Grande Valley. She works at the Tribune as a corps members with Report for America. She previously covered local government, crime, healthcare and...