Mark Teixeira Targets Texas House Seat Following MLB Career
Former Major League Baseball star Mark Teixeira is running as a Republican for a U.S. House seat in Texas, capping a 14-season career that included 409 home runs, five Gold Glove awards, and a 2009 World Series title.
The 46-year-old former switch-hitter, who also played for the Texas Rangers and Atlanta Braves, announced his campaign in a conservative-leaning Texas district after working as a sports broadcaster following his 2016 retirement.
Teixeira stated during his campaign launch that teamwork is required to secure victories, adding that he aims to support Trump’s America First agenda, Texas families, and individual freedoms.
Jay Feely Enters Arizona Congressional Race After NFL Career
Former NFL kicker Jay Feely launched a Republican campaign for the U.S. House in a battleground district in Arizona, entering politics after a 13-season professional football career spanning six different teams.
The 50-year-old candidate, who subsequently worked as a sports broadcaster and analyst, stated that he decided to run for office after experiencing the July 2024 assassination attempt against Donald Trump in Pennsylvania.
Feely’s Democratic opponent in the district is Amish Shah, a 49-year-old physician and former state lawmaker. Shah previously worked as a team doctor for the New York Jets during the 2008 and 2009 seasons while Feely was playing kicker for the franchise, though campaign records indicate the two did not cross paths directly during that tenure.
Josh Turek Runs for Iowa Senate Seat After Paralympic Gold Medals
Two-time Paralympic wheelchair basketball gold medalist Josh Turek is running as the Democratic candidate for the U.S. Senate in Iowa, building on a career that spans more than two decades with the U.S. national team and European professional leagues.
The 47-year-old athlete won gold medals at the 2016 Rio Paralympics and the 2020 Tokyo Paralympics.
Former President Barack Obama publicly endorsed Turek in July, marking the former president’s first endorsement of a Democratic congressional candidate in the current election cycle.
