Former MLB star Mark Teixeira announces bid for US House seat in Texas

Former Major League Baseball star Mark Teixeira announced Thursday that he's running for the Republican nomination for a House seat in Texas.

The former slugger for the Texas Rangers and New York Yankees said he's running for the 21st District seat currently held by Republican Rep. Chip Roy. Roy has said he's not seeking reelection and is running for Texas attorney general.

“As a proud Texan and lifelong conservative who loves our country, I'm ready to fight for the principles that make Texas strong and America exceptional,” Teixeira said in a statement posted on X. “It takes teamwork to win, and I'm ready to help defend President Trump's America First agenda, Texas families and individual liberty.”

Teixeira began his career with the Rangers, and was the 5th overall pick in the 2001 MLB draft. His 14-season career included three All-Star Game appearances, five Gold Gloves, three Silver Sluggers and a World Series title with the Yankees in 2009. Teixeira and his family moved back to Texas in 2021 after he retired from baseball.

In his announcement, Teixeira pledged to work with Trump to secure the border and end “radical woke indoctrination.”

The district's GOP primary already has another contender — Daniel Betts, who ran unsuccessfully for Travis County district attorney last year, has filed paperwork to run.

The 21st Congressional District covers a deeply conservative area west of both Austin and San Antonio. Teixeira announced his bid days after Republicans in the state Legislature approved a redistricting map meant to favor the GOP in the 2026 election.