𝗛𝗔𝗥𝗟𝗜𝗡𝗚𝗘𝗡 𝗗𝗢𝗖𝗧𝗢𝗥 𝗕𝗘𝗖𝗢𝗠𝗘𝗦 𝗙𝗜𝗥𝗦𝗧 𝗗𝗘𝗠𝗢𝗖𝗥𝗔𝗧 𝗧𝗢 𝗖𝗛𝗔𝗟𝗟𝗘𝗡𝗚𝗘 𝗥𝗘𝗣. 𝗠𝗢𝗡𝗜𝗖𝗔 𝗗𝗘 𝗟𝗔 𝗖𝗥𝗨𝗭 𝗙𝗢𝗥 𝗦𝗢𝗨𝗧𝗛 𝗧𝗘𝗫𝗔𝗦 𝗖𝗢𝗡𝗚𝗥𝗘𝗦𝗦𝗜𝗢𝗡𝗔𝗟 𝗦𝗘𝗔𝗧

 

            

Dr. Ada Cuellar

Dr. Ada Cuellar, an emergency room physician from Harlingen, officially launched her campaign Thursday for Texas’ 15th Congressional District, becoming the first Democrat to enter the race for the South Texas seat in the 2026 midterm elections. The district, currently held by Republican Rep. Monica De La Cruz of Edinburg, is the only Republican-held seat in Texas that Democrats are actively targeting under the current political map.

Cuellar, 43, is a native of Weslaco and studied at the University of Texas–Pan American, the University of Texas Medical Branch, and Temple University Hospital. She returned to the Rio Grande Valley to practice medicine and says her campaign is grounded in her commitment to improving lives in the community that raised her. She is running on a platform focused on expanding access to quality health care, strengthening public education, and creating an economy that works for everyday people.

The 15th District, which stretches from Hidalgo County up to the edge of San Antonio, has become a symbol of Democrats' broader challenges in South Texas and among Latino voters. Once a Democratic stronghold, the district was redrawn ahead of the 2022 elections to favor Republicans. De La Cruz won that year, becoming the first Republican to represent the district. She held the seat in 2024 with a 14-point margin, even after national Democratic groups poured resources into the race.

Latinos make up roughly 75% of the district’s eligible voting-age population, according to U.S. Census Bureau data. But in recent cycles, the region has trended rightward. Donald Trump, for example, flipped Hidalgo County in 2024, growing his share of the vote from 28% in 2016 to 51%.

Despite these headwinds, Democrats see the seat as a key opportunity, particularly if they can win back Latino voters frustrated by rising costs and cuts to public programs. Cuellar argues that Democrats can regain momentum by positioning themselves as champions of working families, especially on health care. She pointed to recent Republican-backed Medicaid cuts supported by De La Cruz and included in a major Trump legislative package as evidence that the GOP is out of touch with voters’ needs.

While Cuellar is the first Democrat to formally announce her candidacy, Tejano singer Bobby Pulido has also expressed political ambitions and has been encouraged to run by party leaders, according to reports. Cuellar, who lives just outside the district in neighboring Rep. Vicente Gonzalez’s territory, could face criticism for not residing within the boundaries. However, candidates are not required to live in the district they represent.

The Cook Partisan Voting Index currently rates the 15th Congressional District as leaning Republican by seven points. And while De La Cruz is the only Texas Republican currently listed as a Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee target for 2026, redistricting could again reshape the political landscape. Both parties are watching closely, especially in South Texas, where map changes could either entrench Republican gains or offer Democrats a path back.