A World Series Champ Is Heading To Congress

Former Major League Baseball star Mark Teixeira won the election to represent Texas’ 21st Congressional District on Tuesday, keeping the seat in Republican hands as Democrats captured control of Congress.

Teixeira, a three-time MLB All-Star and 2009 World Series champion with the New York Yankees, defeated Democrat Kristin Hook, a former federal scientist who worked for the National Institutes of Health and the Government Accountability Office.

With 99% of the estimated vote counted, Teixeira led with 54.52% to Hook’s 45.48%, according to Decision Desk HQ.

“Tonight’s victory belongs to the people of Texas’s 21st District,” Teixeira wrote in a statement posted to X. “I’m not going to Washington for myself, but rather to be a strong, responsive voice for every family in this district.”

“I’m excited to get to work,” he added. “I will be praying for all of you and for the future of this great nation. God bless Texas, and God bless America.”

The 46-year-old Republican will succeed conservative stalwart Rep. Chip Roy, who opted against seeking reelection to run for Texas attorney general and lost the GOP runoff in May. Teixeira won the Republican primary in March with nearly 61% of the vote.

The district covers a conservative stretch of the Texas Hill Country, along with portions of San Antonio and its northern suburbs. President Donald Trump and Texas Republican Gov. Greg Abbott endorsed Teixeira, who campaigned on border security and opposition to “radical woke indoctrination.”

Before entering politics, Teixeira played 14 major league seasons with the Texas Rangers, Atlanta Braves, Los Angeles Angels, and New York Yankees. The first baseman finished his career with 409 home runs, five Gold Glove Awards, and three Silver Slugger Awards.

The Rangers selected him fifth overall in the 2001 MLB Draft, and he made his major league debut with the club in 2003. He helped the Yankees win the 2009 World Series against the Philadelphia Phillies.

After retiring in 2016, Teixeira moved with his family back to Texas in 2021. He will be sworn in when the 120th Congress convenes on January 3, 2027. 

His arrival in Washington could also give Republicans a new weapon in the annual Congressional Baseball Game, which dates back to 1909 — if Democrats don’t intentionally walk him.