Democratic Congressional Candidate Defends Violent Music Video as Artistic Expression

Bobby Pulido, a Latin Grammy Award-winning Tejano musician running for Congress in Texas’ 15th District, faced renewed scrutiny this week after defending a 2016 music video that graphically depicted sexual assault and homicide. The video for “Fuiste Mía” (You Were Mine) by singer Gerardo Ortiz showed a man discovering his girlfriend’s infidelity, shooting her lover, then restraining and assaulting the woman before placing her in a car trunk and setting it ablaze.

When the video drew public criticism six years ago, Pulido characterized the violent imagery as an acceptable creative choice. He told journalists that artists routinely make decisions about content, noting that he had similarly produced videos with provocative material that were either retained, edited, or shelved entirely based on artistic preference.

Pulido further defended the video’s graphic nature by comparing viewer reaction to accidents on highways, where traffic slows as motorists observe tragedies. He suggested that regional Mexican music audiences had become desensitized to increasingly explicit imagery depicting violence and tragedy.

The resurfaced comments represent the latest in a series of controversies dogging Pulido’s campaign against incumbent Republican Rep. Monica De La Cruz, who won the competitive seat in 2024 with 57.1% of the vote. Pulido previously faced criticism for sharing links to explicit websites on social media and for a post showing him apparently desecrating President Donald Trump’s Hollywood Walk of Fame star.

Additionally, Pulido drew condemnation in 2018 when he brought a registered sex offender to a middle school benefit concert. He has denied knowledge of the individual’s status and characterized coverage as insignificant.

Zach Kraft, a Republican National Committee spokesperson, issued a sharply worded statement attacking Pulido’s character. “Bobby Pulido has spent his entire adult life defending perverts and predators while lashing out at members of law enforcement who keep Texans safe. He is a truly sick individual who is morally rotten,” Kraft said.

The Pulido campaign declined to respond to inquiries about his defense of the music video or whether a pattern exists in his responses to controversial conduct allegations.