Mark Teixeira, the former New York Yankees slugger and one of several notable sports figures pursuing political office this year, achieved a decisive victory in a Republican primary in Texas on Tuesday for a U.S. House of Representatives seat.
Teixeira secured over 61 percent of the vote in Texas’ 21st Congressional district, emerging victorious from a field of 12 candidates. The ex-first baseman will now advance as the Republican nominee, aiming to succeed current Rep. Chip Roy, who is moving on to a runoff election for the GOP nomination for Texas attorney general.
“This is a huge victory, and I’m truly honored to have such strong support from the people of TX-21. Thank you!” Teixeira conveyed in a message on X. “I’m so grateful to everyone who voted, put in the work, donated, and especially prayed for us along the way.”
Teixeira’s Major League Baseball career spanned 14 seasons, including stints with the Texas Rangers, Atlanta Braves, and Los Angeles Angels before he joined the Yankees in 2009. A three-time All-Star, he earned five Golden Gloves and three Silver Slugger awards throughout his playing days, and celebrated a World Series championship in his inaugural year with New York, a season where he also led the American League in home runs and RBIs.
Following his baseball retirement, Teixeira worked as an ESPN broadcaster from 2017 to 2022. His current House campaign has received an endorsement from Trump.
Former Arizona Cardinals kicker Jay Feely and ex-broadcaster Michele Tafoya are also among those seeking election.
Feely initially declared his intention in April 2025 to run for Arizona’s 5th Congressional District, but by December, he announced a change to the state’s 1st Congressional District after President Donald Trump endorsed his rival, Mark Lamb. At that time, Trump expressed his admiration for Feely, stating he would “very much” like to see him pursue a different district or office.
Feely played 13 seasons in the NFL for six different teams before transitioning to a role as commentator, reporter, and analyst for CBS Sports until 2025. The placekicker secured a national championship with Michigan in 1997, followed by a two-year period in the Arena Football League and his NFL debut with the Atlanta Falcons in 2001. His longest tenure with a single team was with the Arizona Cardinals from 2010 to 2013, concluding his professional career with the Chicago Bears the subsequent season.
Feely has stated that the attempted assassination against Trump in Butler, Pa., motivated his decision to run for office, driven by a desire to support conservative sports media personalities whom he believes are unfairly targeted for their viewpoints.
Arizona’s primary is scheduled for July 21, with Feely among eight Republicans competing for the nomination. Should he win, Feely would succeed 15-year conservative Rep. David Schweikert, who is now campaigning for governor.
Tafoya, a former NFL reporter for networks like ABC, NBC, CBS, and ESPN who later became a political commentator, is participating in the Republican primary for Minnesota’s vacant U.S. Senate seat. She announced her candidacy in January and garnered national attention this week when she asserted during a Fox News appearance that “almost 30 percent of Californians are homeless on any given night.” In reality, California’s homelessness rate is approximately 0.47 percent, according to figures from the National Alliance to End Homelessness. However, the state does indeed account for nearly a third of the nation’s total homeless population.
The Minnesota Senate primary is set for August 1. Tafoya is contending with nine opponents for the GOP nomination, including former Sacramento Kings player Royce White. Republicans are hoping to win a seat currently held by Democratic Sen. Tina Smith, who is not seeking re-election.
Michele Tafoya’s final assignment as an NFL sideline reporter for NBC occurred during Super Bowl LVI in 2022. (Kevin C. Cox / Getty Images)
Since becoming president, Trump has backed numerous campaigns involving sports figures. He vigorously supported Heisman Trophy-winning running back Herschel Walker in his unsuccessful 2022 bid for a Georgia Senate seat, and also lent his support to former Auburn football coach Tommy Tuberville, who triumphed in his 2020 Senate campaign in Alabama. Tuberville is currently running for governor.
Former NBA center Chris Dudley is also campaigning for governor in Oregon as a Republican. He previously sought the position in 2010, winning the GOP nomination but ultimately losing in a closely contested general election. Dudley played for six NBA teams from 1987 to 2003, beginning his career with the Cleveland Cavaliers. He has somewhat distanced himself from the president, telling the Oregon Journalism Project in November, “If we spend the next election just talking about Donald Trump, that’s a disservice to Oregon.”
This stance contrasts sharply with the approach adopted by former University of Tennessee football coach Derek Dooley in Georgia. Dooley has actively sought Trump’s favor throughout his campaign in a competitive Republican Senate primary where he faces nine rivals.
However, Dooley’s pursuit of the president’s endorsement may have encountered a hurdle in late February after audio surfaced of him acknowledging that Trump lost Georgia in the 2020 presidential election. Trump continues to baselessly challenge this fact. Dooley’s primary is scheduled for June 16.
Completing the current roster of athletes-turned-candidates is Colin Allred, a three-term congressman who spent four years as a linebacker for the Tennessee Titans. A Democrat, Allred vacated his position representing Texas’ 32nd Congressional District in the House to run for Senate in 2024. After losing to Republican incumbent Ted Cruz, he is now leading a May 26 runoff race to represent the state’s 33rd District.
Several of these contests are taking place in states and districts that have recently undergone redistricting, including the one Allred is running in this cycle. Texas and Georgia have drawn criticism for political maps that are alleged to discriminate against non-white voters.
Tafoya’s campaign in Minnesota has been affected by ongoing protests concerning the Trump administration’s deportation strategies, including the federal agents’ killings of Renee Good and Alex Pretti; Tafoya referenced this immigration unrest in her campaign announcement. Teixeira and Feely are also campaigning on platforms advocating for stringent immigration enforcement. Alongside Tafoya and Dooley, all of them have voiced opposition to the participation of transgender athletes in women’s sports.
Dudley has not made transgender athletes a central theme of his campaign, but he has expressed strong disapproval of the expansion of legal sports gambling, stating he “hates” prop bets.
“I understand that it’s a massive component of NBA revenues. But I’m not fond of the potential negative impact it can have on individuals,” he informed the Oregon Journalism Project. “With FanDuel, you create fantasy teams, and then you’re deluged with offers. I have three children and I’ve observed how it functions.”