Backlash against Trump’s GOP is so strong that Democrats have put ruby-red Texas in play in next month’s midterm elections. The headlines have gone to Senate hopeful James Talarico, who could become the first Democrat to win a statewide election there since 1994. But polls show competitive down-ballot races, too, including in the 15th congressional district, where some show Tejano musician Bobby Pulido in the lead.
Pulido, 53, rose to fame in the 1990s, following in the footsteps of his father Roberto, a popular practitioner of the Tex-Mex music that melds traditional Mexican styles with the accordion, introduced to the region in the early 20th century by polka-loving German immigrants. By the ’70s the music blended country and rock sounds into the mix.
Bobby became a teen idol among Spanish-speaking audiences with his 1995 debut album and hit single “Desvelado,” and achieved chart success for the rest of the decade. As Tejano music’s popularity waned around the turn of the century, so did Pulido’s record sales, but he remained a concert draw. He said he will give up his music career with a final concert this month.
This wouldn’t be the first time Texans have given their votes to a musician. As the Great Depression was ending they elected W. Lee “Pappy” O’Daniel governor in 1939 and senator in 1941. O’Daniel started out on the radio as a flour salesman, but rose to fame when he hired a band that featured later Western swing legend Bob Wills and dubbed them the Light Crust Doughboys. They sang tunes like the O’Daniel-penned “Beautiful Texas” between segments extolling his flour and the Ten Commandments.
The show aired statewide, making O’Daniel a household name, known for his catchphrase “Pass the biscuits, Pappy.” This should all sound pretty familiar to any fan of the Coen brothers’ movie “O Brother, Where Art Thou?” which borrowed his name and background but transferred the story to Mississippi.
Pulido is running in a district Trump won by 18 points in 2024. His opponent, two-term incumbent Monica De La Cruz, dismissed his candidacy by saying he wasn’t suited for Congress and “only belongs playing quinceañeras.” Pulido has leaned into the insult by playing for free at dozens of the coming-of-age parties, exposing him to hundreds of people live and thousands on social media.
Pulido’s first hit remains his signature tune. Here’s an English translation of the lyrics; the title means “sleepless.”
When Pappy O’Daniel’s Light Crust Doughboys broke up, he put together a new band, the Hillbilly Boys. Here they are singing “Beautiful Texas.” It’s not part of Bobby Pulido’s repertoire.
