Democrat congressional candidate Bobby Pulido has made cowboy hats and horseback riding a recurring part of his campaign image.
But a decades-old interview suggests Pulido once had a very different relationship with the cowboy aesthetic.
Pulido, a musician, is challenging Republican U.S. Rep. Monica De La Cruz in November.
In a 1998 Spanish-language profile published by El Norte, Pulido discussed the difference between his stage persona and his life away from the spotlight.
The article described Pulido as preferring to put his cowboy hat away in the closet when he wasn’t performing.
“I grew up on a ranch, but I’m allergic to horses, and hats aren’t part of my personality,” Pulido said.
The profile went on to describe the Tejano singer as decidedly not fitting the stereotypical image of a cowboy.
Nearly three decades later, the hat and the horses have become a visible part of Pulido’s campaign for Texas’ 15th Congressional District.
His campaign website describes him as someone who enjoys hunting and spending time outdoors while staying connected to “the land and traditions of the Valley.”
Pulido’s campaign pushed back on the suggestion that the decades-old comments conflict with his current image, pointing to childhood photos of Pulido dressed in cowboy attire and riding a horse.
“Monica De La Cruz’s campaign is in freefall and this is the best they’ve got—a 28-year-old quote about cowboy hats,” a campaign spokesperson told Texas Scorecard. “Bobby grew up in vaquero culture, he doesn’t have to cosplay as a cowboy unlike his opponent. The photos speak for themselves.”
The campaign said Pulido was seven years old when the photos were taken.
The newly resurfaced interview comes just weeks after Pulido faced similar questions about the cowboy imagery used by his campaign.
As Texas Scorecard previously reported, a campaign ad featuring South Texas imagery included footage of Alexander Ripper, a German professional reining champion. Pulido’s campaign said the clip was stock footage purchased from a stock website.
Pulido isn’t the only Texas Democrat to face Republican accusations of using campaign imagery to cultivate a particular Texas persona.
Democrat U.S. Senate candidate James Talarico was similarly mocked this summer after appearing behind the wheel of a full-size Dodge Ram in a campaign advertisement, despite the truck not belonging to him.
