Hidalgo County, TX (KRGV) — Voters in Congressional District 15 are choosing between Rep. Monica De La Cruz and Democratic candidate Bobby Pulido, as thousands of ballots have already been cast.

The District 15 contest is one of the races fueling voter turnout, and Channel 5 News spoke with both candidates.

On the cost of living, De La Cruz said she has voted for legislation meant to make life more affordable.

“No tax on tips for the waitress in Edinburg who is busing tables for the lunch hour, no tax on overtime for our law enforcement officers, and no tax on Social Security,” De La Cruz said.

Pulido said he wants to lower health care costs and said those costs are straining people's wallets.

“A lot of people cannot afford healthcare... so it's going to take tackling it as a priority,” Pulido said. “If healthcare is more expensive, it is an affordability crisis because you gotta prioritize your health. What are you without your health?” 

On immigration enforcement, De La Cruz said it should target cartels and criminals, and said legislation has helped certain immigrant groups.

“Such as the Dignity Act — the most comprehensive bipartisan piece of legislation there is,” De La Cruz said. “I've also written legislation that helps our DACA kids and our farmworkers as well.”

Pulido said he supports Border Patrol but believes current enforcement has gone too far.

“Do we need a deportation force to remove bad people? Yeah. We're going to have to use every tool that we can to take away that kind of funding because of the way they're using it; we can't trust them,” Pulido said.

Early voting runs through Oct. 30, 2026. Election Day is Nov. 3, 2026.

Click here for more election resources.

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