Bobby Pulido quinceañeras campaign highlights how cultural traditions like quinceañeras are becoming powerful tools in Latino voter outreach and political engagement across South Texas.
Jimena Sáenz’s glittery blue quinceañera gown caught the light and sparkled as she swayed to the Tejano music flowing through the Edinburg event center last month.
Her friends and family formed a circle around her, mouthing some lyrics as they filmed on their phones and danced to the live performance from Bobby Pulido, the Tejano music star who is running for Congress in South Texas.
It was one of a dozen quinceañeras the Democrat and first-time political candidate has gone to since mid-March, an effort aimed at spinning a dig from his opponent — who said the election “isn’t about who you want performing at your niece’s quinceañera” — into an offbeat way of reaching new voters.
At Sáenz’s quinceañera, Pulido started the evening singing “Hermoso Cariño” by Mexican singer Vicente Fernández and later performed “Desvelado,” the title track of his 1995 album that propelled him to fame and reached the top 10 on Billboard’s chart of top Latin albums.
It’s also a favorite for Jimena Sáenz’s sisters.
“I know it’s basic, but ‘Desvelado’ is definitely just one of those bangers that you cannot get rid of this family at all,” said Janie Sáenz, Jimena’s 20-year-old sister.
Pulido’s quinceañera circuit was inspired by a March 4 video posted on social media by his Republican opponent, incumbent U.S. Rep. Monica De La Cruz, in which she referred to Pulido as a “scandal-plagued celebrity” and questioned his fitness for office.
“This election isn’t about who you want performing at your niece’s quinceañera,” said De La Cruz, R-Edinburg. “It’s about who you trust with your family’s future. After years of neglect, South Texas finally has a seat at the table, and we’re not going to jeopardize that.”
Pulido fired back, saying the celebration — which celebrates a girl’s 15th birthday and transition into womanhood — is a rite of passage in South Texas that brings the community together.
“Quinceaneras are part of our culture here,” he said in an interview. “She tried to make it an insult, and I took it as a badge of honor.”
Pulido put out an open call for invitations to perform at quinceañeras across Texas’ 15th Congressional District, which stretches from east of San Antonio to the Rio Grande Valley and is Democrats’ top target in Texas. His campaign received more than 1,000 requests in the first 24 hours, and in the weeks since, people have also been asking Pulido to perform at birthday parties, bar mitzvahs and graduations, he said, noting that the requests now number more than 2,700.
Amy Sáenz, Jimena Sáenz’s 18-year-old sister who filled out the form inviting Pulido, said she heard about his performances from her high school coaches and classmates and filled out the form after encouragement from her mom. She told her family planned Pulido’s appearance as a surprise for the roughly 250 guests they expected.
At the quinceañera, Pulido gave Jimena Sáenz a pink hat labeled “Make Quinceañeras Great Again” and autographed by the Tejano singer.
“We decided to invite Bobby Pulido to not only showcase what a quinceañera is, but to also have the memory of him being able to come,” said Amy, who is a senior in high school. She said her family is politically engaged and already held a positive opinion of the singer before his performance.
But Álvaro Corral, a political science assistant professor at the University of Texas Rio Grande Valley, said Pulido’s strategy is not just about appealing to people attending the quinceañeras, but also those seeing the videos and photos from the events that have been shared across social media — a relatively low-cost way to reach more voters.
“It’s a way to reach a lot of people… a lot of folks who may not necessarily be super plugged into politics, especially in a midterm election,” he said, adding that it also helps Pulido capitalize further on his positive image as a famous musician and present himself as a political outsider rather than a “politician.”
Jackie Bastard, executive director of Jolt Initiative, a Texas-based nonprofit that aims to increase civic participation among Latinos, said quinceañeras are a sacred cultural milestone in the Latino community that represents a young woman stepping into leadership and responsibility. Pulido’s strategy puts him in touch with voters where they are and introduces him to their communities and the issues they face, she added.
