Bobby Pulido wants to represent you in Congress. Before you consider that proposition, you should know he once defended a music video showing a woman being handcuffed, groped, and burned alive in a car trunk. And his excuse? Artistic direction.

Let that sink in for a moment. We’re not talking about pushing boundaries or exploring difficult themes with nuance. The 2016 music video for “Fuiste Mía” by Gerardo Ortiz depicts a man discovering his girlfriend’s infidelity, shooting her lover, then restraining her to a pole, blindfolding her, groping her, and ultimately incinerating her alive. When critics rightfully called this depravity masquerading as art, Pulido rushed to defend it.

The Latin Grammy winner dismissed concerns by pointing to his own work with “suggestive images,” as if depicting sexual violence and murder falls into the same category as being provocative. His response revealed something troubling about his judgment, or perhaps his priorities. “That’s the decision of the artist and their team,” Pulido explained, shrugging off the glorification of femicide as just another creative choice.

You know what’s fascinating about this story? It’s not an isolated incident. Pulido is running for Texas’ 15th Congressional District, challenging Republican Monica De La Cruz, and everywhere you look there’s another controversy he’s trying to wave away. He posted links to explicit websites on his X account and later claimed it’s “impossible to have Twitter and not watch porn.” That’s quite the defense strategy.

Then there’s the photo appearing to show him urinating on President Trump’s Hollywood Walk of Fame star. Pulido insists he was just pouring water as a joke. Because nothing says “I’m ready for serious public service” like desecrating public property for laughs, right?

The pattern gets worse. In 2018, Pulido brought a registered sex offender to a Texas middle school benefit concert. When confronted, he claimed ignorance and dismissed coverage as a “nothing story.” A registered sex offender at a middle school event is a nothing story? Tell that to any parent.

This is the man seeking to represent one of America’s most competitive congressional districts. He’s betting Texas voters will overlook his defense of violence against women, his casual relationship with decency, and his string of “misunderstandings” about basic moral standards.

What Pulido called artistic direction in 2016, most people call violence pornography. The video he defended wasn’t exploring the psychology of jealous rage or critiquing machismo culture. It was exploitation, pure and simple, depicting a woman’s torture and murder for entertainment. His willingness to defend that speaks volumes about where his values lie.

Conservative principles aren’t complicated here. We believe in protecting the vulnerable, defending human dignity, and holding leaders to standards that reflect our values. We understand that culture matters, that what we celebrate and defend shapes society. When someone running for Congress can’t recognize the difference between artistic expression and glorified violence against women, that person lacks the moral compass required for leadership.

Monica De La Cruz won her last election with 57% of the vote. She’s defended border security, fought for Texas families, and hasn’t needed to explain away a parade of disturbing associations. The contrast couldn’t be clearer.

Pulido wants voters to believe these controversies are distractions, that his critics are manufacturing outrage. But defending a video depicting sexual violence and murder isn’t a distraction. It’s a window into character. And character matters when you’re asking people to trust you with power.

Texas deserves better than excuses and dismissals. The 15th District deserves representation that doesn’t require constant damage control and revisionist explanations. Sometimes the simplest explanation is the right one. A man who defends depictions of violence against women probably shouldn’t represent anyone in Congress.

Related: These AI Cameras Track Millions of Americans and Washington Is Starting to Push Back