Former World Series champion Mark Teixeira won election to represent Texas’s 21st Congressional District, defeating Democrat Kristin Hook in Tuesday’s midterm elections. By Wednesday morning, Teixeira had 54.5% of the vote, with 99% of ballots counted.
Teixeira said on X that his victory belonged to the people of the district and that he would be “a strong, responsive voice for every family” there. The seat has been held by Republicans since 1979. Its previous representative, Chip Roy, did not seek reelection. Donald Trump and Texas Governor Greg Abbott endorsed Teixeira.
Teixeira, 46, was a first-round draft pick by the Texas Rangers in 2001 and played for the team from 2003 to 2007. He later played for the Atlanta Braves, Los Angeles Angels and New York Yankees, and helped the Yankees win the 2009 World Series. He was selected as an All-Star in 2005, 2009 and 2015.
In Minnesota, Republican Michele Tafoya, a former NFL sideline reporter, lost her Senate race to Democrat Peggy Flanagan, the state’s lieutenant governor. Minnesota has not elected a Republican to the US Senate since 2002. Flanagan is the first Native American woman elected to the chamber.
In Alabama, Republican Tommy Tuberville won the race for governor. Tuberville previously coached Auburn’s college football team.
Sources: The Guardian Sport.