Ex-Georgia Tech, Braves player Mark Teixeira announces bid for U.S. House seat
Former Georgia Tech star Mark Teixeira announced Thursday that he’s running for the Republican nomination for a House seat in Texas.
Teixeira, who played at Tech for three seasons (1999-2001), is a member of the College Baseball Hall of Fame and the Georgia Tech Sports Hall of Fame. He also is a member of the Georgia Tech Athletic Association Board of Trustees.
Tech retired his jersey No. 23 in May 2023.
From 2007-08, Teixeira played for the Braves, who acquired him in a trade with the Rangers on July 31, 2007, and traded him to the Angels on July 29, 2008.
Teixeira 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 (Donald) Trump’s America First agenda, Texas families and individual liberty.”
Teixeira began his career with the Rangers and was the fifth 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.
Material from The Associated Press was used in this article.
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