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Deana Duquesne's avatar

Yep, my mom's family is from the Valley, Edinburg specifically. He talks like my cousins, including about the concerns they have, concerns I share. Good on him. I hope he wins!!!

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Laurie Mitchell Dunn's avatar

Great profile! I am from south Texas (although not the Rio Grande Valley) and am on the lookout for candidates that can help flip that part of Texas back to blue. One minor correction: the town Mr. Pulido is from is spelled “Edinburg,” with no “h”.

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Sylvia Street's avatar

Elated to read this report! Commenter Valerie Whittier below, hits the bulllseye in explaining why I had this reaction!

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Valerie Whittier's avatar

And this is exactly the type of candidate that Democrats need!

Truly recognizes the root of what is clearly government disfunction and has a message that directly holds failing politicians accountable for their hypocrisy and failings.

Ability to respect members of the opposing party. Moderate.

Has a built-in audience that likes and respects him....

Democrats wanting to succeed in TX can't be on the extreme right and neither is the US electorate as a whole.

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The monk's avatar

“Ability to respect members of the opposing party. Moderate.”🙏

This monk thinks that you had meant dems can’t be on the extreme LEFT.

This monk has seen comments by left wing nuts who bragged that they are proud to be “entitled left wing brats” and have only expressed hatred for the other side. It seems that both left wing nuts and right wing nuts have very low self esteem, in this monk’s very humble opinion.

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Angela Oberbauer's avatar

Adrian, I really hope Pulido wins!

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Independent CheeseHead's avatar

Great character article. My in-law family is South Texas all the way and we all love tejano music. I hope Pulido wins the seat, but the one thing I fear might knock him out is mega-church evangelical ministers who tell their masses to vote R for fear of godly retribution. The forces of religion and politics are at war in Texas, and religion is winning bigly.

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Jacqueline Berry's avatar

Very informative and your synopsis gives me hope. I'll be paying more attention now.

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Jerry Norman's avatar

Culturally aware of south Texas aka Tejas. Tejano musician and excellent long-distance rifleman (useful if family likes deer meat/venison). Running as Democrat, opposite De La Cruz, the Repub incumbent who promised to support rural healthcare and then didn't, as gave in to Pres.T.

Good coverage from A Carrasquillo

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Janice I Wauben's avatar

As always your weekly letters are so informative and right on point. I had a rural upbringing in NE so I understand the problem you summarize re: Democrats, especially progressives, failing to grasp this divide and to reach out effectively. I pray the party is paying attention.

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Professor Ahab's avatar

Excellent piece, Adrian. His launch message should resonate with all Dems and it can become a template to be used by more candidates in the South. He comes off as an everyman looking to help his community out.

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Anthony J. Alberta's avatar

Great article, great video, great message.

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Gerald Lewis's avatar

Watch to see Pelosy and Shumer do all they can to shuttle this greatly needed potential star of a rotting sitting party to the far sidelines, as they have done to AOC and Bernie and others who know the party needs challenged and changed. History, if it redeems it's former, untampered-with truth, will record that the sitting democratic party's failures were due to the democratic party itself.

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Carol S.'s avatar

I knew that Texas has a Paris, but I didn't know it also has an Edinburgh.

Turns out it doesn't - but it does have an Edinburg.

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Paul K. Ogden's avatar

Indiana has a Paris and Edinburgh and Brazil and Lebanon and London and China...

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Larry Wegrzyn's avatar

Texas has more registered Dems than GOP. Texas is fed up with the GOP - Abbott, Paxton, Cruz, Biggs, oy, Cornyn - non are favorites. Texas has been blue before and with all the garbage the GOP has dealt the state - don't count the Dems out.

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SDWade's avatar

From your pen to God's eyes! I'd love to see someone from the RGV who isn't bought and paid for in Congress.

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Anthony J. Alberta's avatar

Ann Richards

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willoughby's avatar

My feeling for the last decade is that Democrats need to get off their consultant-driven, over-polled, demographic game theories and their national campaign strategy and learn to meet the people where they live. Folks don't vote Democratic in Manhattan or Seattle for the same reason they vote Democratic in Atlanta or Tampa or Birmingham, Alabama.

If that means developing the wit to embrace a Democratic Socialist in New York City and a tough-on-crime lifelong hunter down in Texas, so be it: so long as they both stand for fundamental democratic principles and constitutional order, then they both have a place in a sane Democratic Party.

No more identity politics, no more demographic litmus tests: no more poll-tested mantras. Authentic candidates who come from the districts they intend to represent, and who know what their people want: they're what the doctor ordered.

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