WASHINGTON — Democratic congressional candidate Bobby Pulido is bringing new life to his party’s hopes of flipping a key South Texas district, starting as a household name from his decades as a Tejano musician and projecting a moderate image he says is grounded in the region’s culture.
But Pulido has been dogged by a series of headlines regarding his former bandmate, Frankie Caballero, a registered sex offender whom Pulido toured with for years as his accordionist, despite a lengthy rap sheet that includes a conviction for indecent sexual contact with a child. Pulido has maintained he was not aware Caballero was a sex offender, with his campaign saying he only knew Caballero struggled with addiction.