Former New York Yankees, Los Angeles Angels, Atlanta Braves, and Texas Rangers first baseman Mark Teixeira made a big announcement Thursday. The three-time MLB All-Star revealed that he plans on running for Congress in Texas’ 21st district.
Teixeira enters the race just a week after the district’s sitting congressman, Republican Chip Roy, revealed that he would not be seeking re-election. Instead, Roy will run for Texas Attorney General. Roy had served as the representative for Texas’ 21st district since 2018, winning three separate re-election campaigns since then (2020, 2022, 2024), all by sizable margins.
Teixeira is looking to fill the void left by Roy, despite minimal previous political experience.
Is Teixeira running as a Republican or Democrat?
Teixeira made it clear that he will be campaigning on conservative policies. In the announcement, Teixeira was detailed as a ‘lifelong conservative who loves our country.’ It also said Teixeira’s decision to run for Congress is an effort to pursue ‘his passion for public service and the America First agenda.’
Teixeira will enter the Republican primary, set for March 3, 2026.
Teixeira’s political history
Teixeira has never worked in the public sector but, according to his announcement, he has ‘championed’ many conservative causes since retiring from baseball. He has been a vocal supporter of Texas governor Greg Abbott and has volunteered with the Texas Public Policy Foundation.
When is the election?
The general election is still more than a year away, scheduled for November 3, 2026. The primary will be March 3, 2026, and a primary runoff is set for May 26, 2026. The deadline for filing is December 8, 2025.
As of right now, three Democrats, an Independent, and zero Republicans (excluding Teixeira) have already registered with a federal or state campaign finance agency and already appear on candidate lists released by government election agencies:
Gary Taylor (D)
Regina Vanburg (D)
Daniel Weber (D)
Dan McQueen (Independent)
Mark Teixeira stats
14-year career
1,862 regular-season games
409 career home runs
Five Gold Glove awards
Three-time All-Star