Teixeira mostly played for the New York Yankees during 14 seasons in Major League Baseball.
WASHINGTON—Former baseball star and World Series champion Mark Teixeira announced on Aug. 28 that he is running for Congress.
Teixeira is running as a Republican in Texas’s 21st Congressional District.
In a statement, Teixeira expressed support for President Donald Trump’s America First agenda, such as securing the border, strengthening the military, growing the economy, promoting American energy independence, and defending both life and the Second Amendment.
“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. “It takes teamwork to win, and I’m ready to help defend President Trump’s America First agenda, Texas families, and individual liberty.”
During his Major League Baseball career, Teixeira played mostly for the New York Yankees. He also played for the Texas Rangers, Atlanta Braves, and Los Angeles Angels.
Over 14 seasons, he batted .268, hit 409 home runs, and batted in 1,298 runs.
Teixeira, who was the fifth overall pick in the 2001 Major League Baseball Draft, appeared in three All-Star games and won the Gold Glove Award five times for outstanding defensive play at first base. He won the Silver Slugger Award three times as one of the game’s best hitters and was the American League’s home run leader in 2009, with 39 home runs. That year, he also led the American League in runs batted in.
The son of a Navy veteran, Teixeira moved back to Texas in 2021 and has been involved in conservative causes such as volunteering with the Texas Public Policy Foundation and supporting Texas Gov. Greg Abbott. He is also involved in charitable and Christian outreach.
“Texas is the land of fierce independence, relentless optimism, and limitless opportunity. That unique spirit thrives in the Hill Country and throughout Congressional District 21—from Kerrville to New Braunfels, from Leakey to Bandera, and everywhere in between,” Teixeira said in a statement announcing his run.
“Playing for the Texas Rangers and raising my family in the Lone Star State has been one of the greatest blessings of my life,” he said. “Now I’m ready to answer the call to serve my country, my state, and the conservative principles that have made Texas the envy of the nation.”
Were he to win, Teixeira would succeed Rep. Chip Roy (R-Texas), who is running for Texas Attorney General.
Teixeira said Roy “has represented this district with unwavering courage and leaves an impressive legacy of principled conservative leadership.”
“I will campaign hard, meet Texans across the district, and earn every vote,” he said. “In Congress, I’ll always stand up for the real heroes—our men and women in uniform, police officers and firefighters, farmers and ranchers, parents, teachers, and hard-working taxpayers.”
