U.S. House, Texas 15th Congressional District · November 3, 2026
Who should I vote for in Texas's 15th Congressional District?
Monica De La Cruz has the strongest record in Texas's 15th Congressional District. Monica De La Cruz scores 63 out of 100 on the Ballot Standard, as of October 6, 2026. Monica De La Cruz's highest marks are relevant experience and courage. Bobby Pulido (6 of 15 criteria) has too little public record to score. Every score comes from public records on character, qualifications and performance, the same way for every party.
Republican · incumbent
Strongest record
Monica De La Cruz
On the ballot as MONICA DE LA CRUZ
63 / 100
Public evidence on 13 of 15 criteria
- Character
- 56
- Qualifications
- 70
- Performance
- 63
Democratic
Bobby Pulido
On the ballot as BOBBY PULIDO
Not enough public record for a score
Public evidence on 6 of 15 criteria
- Character
- 50
- Qualifications
- 55
- Performance
- NR
The good, the bad and the unresolved
The record
The notable facts of each candidate's public life, each tied to a source and confirmed to be this person. Unresolved matters are labeled with where they stand and do not move a score.
Monica De La Cruz
- On the record2026-01-08
Was one of 17 House Republicans who voted for a three-year extension of enhanced ACA premium subsidies, which passed 230 to 196 over the votes of the Speaker, Majority Leader and Whip.
Sources: House Clerk Roll Call 11, Jan. 8, 2026, PBS NewsHour (AP), Jan. 8, 2026
- Credit2024-09-13
Sponsored H.R. 1076, the Preventing the Financing of Illegal Synthetic Drugs Act, signed into law Sept. 13, 2024; a second sponsored bill, H.R. 224, became law Jan. 20, 2026.
Sources: GovTrack, H.R. 1076 (118th Congress), GovTrack, H.R. 224 (119th Congress)
Bobby Pulido
- Mark against2015
Posted social media messages about a decade ago that used racist and homophobic slurs, including in 2015; he has admitted some crossed the line and apologized.
Sources: NBC News, July 14, 2026, The Guardian, Oct. 4, 2026
- On the record2026-07-06
Toured for years with accordionist Frankie Caballero, a registered sex offender convicted in 2014 of indecent sexual contact with a child; Pulido says he did not know of the conviction.
Source: Texas Tribune, July 6, 2026
- Creditvarious
Has won two Latin Grammy Awards for best Tejano album.
Sources: The Guardian, Oct. 4, 2026, Texas Tribune, July 6, 2026
Who they are
Character
Integrity
Tells the truth, keeps their word, and takes no private gain from public office.
Monica De La Cruz. Annual financial disclosure for 2025 filed May 25, 2026 after an extension. No House Ethics Committee matter or FEC administrative fine found.
Sources: House Clerk annual financial disclosure, Filing ID 10075630, House Committee on Ethics site search for De La Cruz, FEC administrative fines search
Bobby Pulido. House candidate financial disclosures on file (latest filed June 4, 2026) and FEC reports on file through June 30, 2026. No FEC administrative fine or Texas Ethics Commission order found.
Sources: House Clerk candidate financial disclosure, Filing ID 10075555, FEC candidate page, FEC administrative fines search
Courage
Takes a stand that costs them something, including telling their own side no.
Monica De La Cruz. Voted for the Jan. 2026 three-year health subsidy extension and the Feb. 2026 ROTOR Act while the Speaker, Majority Leader and Whip voted Nay, and against the April 2024 Ukraine supplemental that they backed.
Sources: House Clerk Roll Call 11, Jan. 8, 2026, PBS NewsHour (AP), Jan. 8, 2026, House Clerk Roll Call 72, Feb. 24, 2026, ROTOR Act, House Clerk Roll Call 151, April 20, 2024
Bobby Pulido. No public record found.
Accountability
Owns mistakes, answers hard questions, and works in the open.
Monica De La Cruz. No public record found.
Bobby Pulido. No public record found.
Temperament and judgment
Steady under pressure, decides on evidence, and treats opponents and staff with respect.
Monica De La Cruz. Insurance agency owner and in Congress since Jan. 2023. No censure, reprimand or ethics conduct finding found.
Sources: Ballotpedia, Monica De La Cruz, GovTrack, Texas 15th District, House Committee on Ethics site search for De La Cruz
Bobby Pulido. No public record found.
Fidelity to the oath
Uses power inside its limits: accepts certified results, obeys court rulings, follows the rules of the office.
Monica De La Cruz. Has held sworn federal office since Jan. 3, 2023, after the January 2021 electoral count; no misuse-of-office finding found.
Sources: GovTrack, Texas 15th District, House Committee on Ethics site search for De La Cruz
Bobby Pulido. No public record found.
What they bring
Qualifications
Relevant experience
Has done work that prepares them for this specific office.
Monica De La Cruz. In the U.S. House since Jan. 3, 2023, seeking a third term after a full term in the seat; earlier owned an insurance agency.
Sources: GovTrack, Texas 15th District, Ballotpedia, Monica De La Cruz
Bobby Pulido. Tejano musician for about 30 years and a small business owner; two-time Latin Grammy winner. Has not held public office.
Sources: Ballotpedia, Bobby Pulido, Texas Tribune, July 24, 2025, The Guardian, Oct. 4, 2026
Command of the job
Knows the issues and knows what the office can and cannot do.
Monica De La Cruz. Vice chair of the Financial Services Subcommittee on Housing and Insurance and the Agriculture Subcommittee on Nutrition and Foreign Agriculture; primary sponsor of five enacted bills per GovTrack.
Source: GovTrack, committee membership
Bobby Pulido. Publishes campaign positions on the economy and other issues in general terms.
Communication
Explains plainly, persuades, and listens.
Monica De La Cruz. Offers an e-newsletter and telephone town halls and publishes issue pages. Has not completed Ballotpedia's 2026 survey.
Sources: Office site, home page, KRGV, March 25, 2025, Ballotpedia, Monica De La Cruz
Bobby Pulido. Completed Ballotpedia's 2026 Candidate Connection survey and publishes issue positions on his campaign site.
Source: Ballotpedia, Bobby Pulido
Roots in the constituency
Lives there, knows the people, and is funded by them.
Monica De La Cruz. Lives in Edinburg in Hidalgo County, which the district spans; born in Brownsville. FEC by-state totals show about 40 percent of itemized individual contributions from Texas.
Sources: Texas Tribune, Sept. 25, 2026, Ballotpedia, Monica De La Cruz, FEC contribution totals by state
Bobby Pulido. Born and raised in Edinburg, in the district. FEC by-state totals show about 38 percent of itemized individual contributions from Texas.
Sources: Ballotpedia, Bobby Pulido, Texas Tribune, July 24, 2025, FEC contribution totals by state
Management
Can build and run an organization.
Monica De La Cruz. FEC reports on file through June 30, 2026, each filed by its due date, and no FEC administrative fine found.
Sources: FEC candidate page, FEC administrative fines search
Bobby Pulido. FEC reports on file through June 30, 2026, each filed by its due date, and no FEC administrative fine found.
Sources: FEC candidate page, FEC administrative fines search
What they deliver
Performance
Results
Turns ideas into outcomes.
Monica De La Cruz. Legislative Effectiveness Score of 1.117 in the 118th Congress against a benchmark of 1.190, which the Center for Effective Lawmaking classes as meeting expectations; her H.R. 1076 was signed into law Sept. 13, 2024.
Sources: Center for Effective Lawmaking House dataset, 93rd to 118th Congress, GovTrack, H.R. 1076 (118th Congress), GovTrack, H.R. 224 (119th Congress), GovTrack, enacted legislation
Bobby Pulido. No public record found.
Showing up
Does the basic work of the job.
Monica De La Cruz. Missed 94 of 1,917 roll call votes, 4.9 percent, from January 2023 to September 2026.
Source: GovTrack, missed votes
Bobby Pulido. No public record found.
Constituent service
Solves problems for the people they represent.
Monica De La Cruz. Lists a McAllen district office, offers help with federal agencies and holds telephone town halls, which local TV covered in March 2025.
Sources: Office site, home page, KRGV, March 25, 2025
Bobby Pulido. No public record found.
Coalition building
Wins support beyond their own faction.
Monica De La Cruz. Lugar Center Bipartisan Index score of -0.29652 in the latest posted House scores (118th Congress, 2023), ranked 188 of 436.
Source: Lugar Center and McCourt School Bipartisan Index, House Scores
Bobby Pulido. No public record found.
Stewardship of public money
Treats tax dollars as someone else's money.
Monica De La Cruz. No public record found.
Bobby Pulido. No public record found.
How to read this
Each criterion is scored 0 to 4 against the written rubric in the Ballot Standard. NR means no record: there is no reliable public evidence either way, so the criterion is left out and never counts against the candidate. A total is published when at least 8 of 15 criteria have evidence.
A sitting officeholder has a longer public record than a first-time candidate, so the two totals rest on different amounts of evidence. Read the count of criteria beside each score. Low marks require an official finding or a primary record. Allegations and opinion are not used.
No policy position is scored. Evidence checked October 6, 2026. Campaigns and readers can send a correction with a public source to tpg@thepoliticalgroup.com.
Questions
Who should I vote for in Texas's 15th Congressional District?
Monica De La Cruz has the strongest record in Texas's 15th Congressional District. Monica De La Cruz scores 63 out of 100 on the Ballot Standard, as of October 6, 2026. Monica De La Cruz's highest marks are relevant experience and courage. Bobby Pulido (6 of 15 criteria) has too little public record to score. Every score comes from public records on character, qualifications and performance, the same way for every party.
Who is running in Texas's 15th Congressional District in 2026?
MONICA DE LA CRUZ (Republican, incumbent), BOBBY PULIDO (Democratic). The general election is November 3, 2026.
Is Monica De La Cruz a good candidate for Congress?
Monica De La Cruz scores 63 out of 100 on the Ballot Standard, with public evidence on 13 of 15 criteria: character 56 of 100, qualifications 70 of 100, performance 63 of 100. The standard measures character, qualifications and performance, not policy positions.
Is Bobby Pulido a good candidate for Congress?
Bobby Pulido has public evidence on 6 of the 15 Ballot Standard criteria, short of the 8 needed for a score. The evidence that exists is shown on the scorecard. No record never counts against a candidate.
How is the strongest record decided?
The candidate with the highest Ballot Standard score has the strongest record. Each of 15 criteria on character, qualifications and performance is scored 0 to 4 from public records and established reporting, the same way for every party. No policy position is scored, and unresolved accusations never move a score.
More on this race: every Texas race scored, the trailing candidate's path to victory, and the Texas 2026 election guide. Independent scorecard by The Political Group, not affiliated with any candidate or party.