WASHINGTON — In his first-ever run for elected office, former Major League Baseball player Mark Teixeira is overpowering the field of a dozen Republicans competing to replace Rep. Chip Roy in Congress, pumping millions of his personal wealth into his campaign and locking up key endorsements, including a recent nod from President Donald Trump.
Roy, R-Austin, is running for Texas attorney general this year, leaving Texas’ 21st Congressional District up for grabs. The seat, which includes parts of San Antonio and several ruby red Hill Country counties, would have gone for Trump by nearly 22 points in 2024 under its new boundaries — meaning the Republican primary will likely decide the next representative.
Teixeira, a former Texas Rangers and New York Yankees first baseman, has raised more cash than any other candidate, loaning $2.5 million of his own money to his campaign and pulling in another $545,000 from donors. Aside from Trump, he is endorsed by Gov. Greg Abbott — whose push for private school vouchers Teixeira recently supported — and nine of the 25 Republicans from Texas’ congressional delegation. The sheer number of candidates increases the chances of the March 3 primary going to a runoff, which happens when no candidate receives a majority of the votes. But Jon Taylor, political science and geography department chair at the University of Texas at San Antonio, said Teixeira’s endorsements and ability to blanket the district in ads give him a major leg up.
