Monica De La Cruz Bio
Monica De La Cruz is an American politician, insurance agent, and business owner from Texas. A Republican, she has represented Texas’s 15th congressional district in the U.S. House of Representatives since 2023. She is the first Republican elected to a full term in the district after it was redrawn.
Early Life and Background
Monica De La Cruz was born on November 11, 1974, in Brownsville, Texas, in the Rio Grande Valley. She grew up in the border region of South Texas, an area that would later shape her political outlook and her focus on issues affecting the border and Hispanic communities.
She graduated from James Pace Early College High School in Brownsville. De La Cruz then attended the University of Texas at San Antonio, where she earned a Bachelor of Business Administration while studying marketing. She later studied Spanish at the National Autonomous University of Mexico in Mexico City, an experience that helped her develop strong ties to Latin American culture and language.
Path to US Politics
Before entering politics, Monica De La Cruz built a career in marketing and media. She interned for Turner Entertainment and later worked for Cartoon Network Latin America, gaining experience in business and communications. She went on to become an insurance agent and small business owner in South Texas, working with families and local clients in the Rio Grande Valley.
Her community work and business experience in one of the most competitive congressional districts in Texas eventually led her to public service. Drawing on her background in business and her connection to the border region, De La Cruz began her political career with a focus on economic growth, border security, and the concerns of South Texas families.
Monica De La Cruz Career
Early Career (2020)
Monica De La Cruz entered the political stage in 2020 when she ran for Texas’s 15th congressional district. She challenged incumbent Democrat Vicente Gonzalez in a hard-fought race. Although she lost the election by almost three percentage points, her performance showed that the long-Democratic district was competitive for Republicans.
The 2020 campaign gave De La Cruz valuable experience and a public platform, setting the stage for a second, more organized run. Her close race in a heavily Hispanic border district attracted the attention of national Republican leaders, who saw her as a strong candidate for a future election.
2022 Congressional Breakthrough (2022)
In 2022, Monica De La Cruz ran again for the 15th congressional district. That year, incumbent Vicente Gonzalez was redistricted to Texas’s 34th congressional district, opening the seat for a competitive race. De La Cruz earned the endorsement of President Donald Trump and House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy, key figures in the Republican Party.
De La Cruz faced Democratic nominee Michelle Vallejo in the general election. She won the race with 80,869 votes to Vallejo’s 67,913, flipping the seat for Republicans. When she took office in January 2023, she became the first Republican to hold the seat, only the eighth person to represent the district since it was created in 1903, and the first Republican elected to a full term in the district after it was redrawn.
Her victory was historic in the Rio Grande Valley. By a few months, she became the second Republican elected from a Rio Grande Valley county in more than a century, following Mayra Flores, who won a partial term in a neighboring district in 2022.
U.S. House of Representatives Era (2023-Present)
Since taking office in 2023, Monica De La Cruz has served Texas’s 15th congressional district in the U.S. House of Representatives. In March 2024, she delivered the Republican response to President Joe Biden’s 2024 State of the Union Address in Spanish, gaining national attention for her remarks on border policy and the economy.
During the 119th Congress, De La Cruz has served on House committees, working on legislation related to border security, small business, and the economy. She voted to provide Israel with support following the 2023 Hamas attack on Israel, aligning with the broader Republican position on U.S. foreign policy in the Middle East.
De La Cruz ran for re-election in 2024, once again facing Democratic nominee Michelle Vallejo. She won the general election by 14 points, securing a comfortable margin and reinforcing her hold on the district for a second term.
Notable Events and Milestones
One of the most notable moments in Monica De La Cruz’s career came in March 2024, when she was chosen to deliver the Republican Spanish-language response to the State of the Union Address. The address was viewed by millions of Spanish-speaking households in the United States, making it one of the most-watched political speeches of the year. In 2026, Politico reported that De La Cruz had earmarked $2.4 million in taxpayer funds to Angels of Love Advocacy Project, an organization founded by Della Fay Perez, drawing additional national attention to her work in Congress.
Monica De La Cruz Career Wins
Monica De La Cruz has built a record of electoral success in one of the most closely watched congressional districts in Texas. After a narrow loss in her first run, she has won two consecutive general elections in Texas’s 15th congressional district, including a historic 2022 victory that made her the first Republican to hold the seat.
U.S. House of Representatives Highlights
Monica De La Cruz first won her congressional seat in 2022, defeating Democratic nominee Michelle Vallejo with 80,869 votes to 67,913. She followed that with a 2024 re-election win against Vallejo, this time by 14 points. Her two wins in the Rio Grande Valley marked a major shift in South Texas politics and established her as a leading Republican voice in the region.
Other Wins and Achievements
Beyond her election victories, Monica De La Cruz has earned national recognition for delivering the Republican Spanish-language response to President Biden’s 2024 State of the Union Address in March 2024, making her one of the most prominent Hispanic Republican voices in the country. She has also secured endorsements from top Republican leaders, including President Donald Trump and House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy, which helped her build a strong national profile during her 2022 campaign.
Monica De La Cruz Family
Family Background and Personal Life
Monica De La Cruz is an Episcopalian. She has been married and divorced twice and is the mother of two children. Her second divorce, from Juan Gabriel Hernandez in 2021, was reported as acrimonious. Her brother, Carlos, is running for the redrawn Texas’s 35th congressional district in 2026, continuing the family’s involvement in South Texas politics.
Personal Life
De La Cruz has kept much of her personal life out of the public eye. She continues to live and work in South Texas, where she raised her children and built her business before entering Congress. Her experience as a mother, business owner, and border-region resident has shaped her approach to public service and her priorities in the U.S. House of Representatives.