TX – Former President Donald Trump on Monday endorsed Susan Wright in the special election for North Texas’ Congressional District 6.
Wright, a Republican activist from Arlington, is running to replace her late husband, Ron Wright, in a seat the GOP needs to hold in this year’s special election and beyond.
“Susan Wright will be a terrific Congresswoman (TX-06) for the Great State of Texas. She is the wife of the late Congressman Ron Wright, who has always been supportive of our America First Policies,” Trump said in a statement. “Susan will be strong on the Border, Crime, Pro-Life, our brave Military and Vets, and will ALWAYS protect your Second Amendment. Early voting is NOW underway — and the Special Election takes place on Saturday, May 1st. Get out and VOTE! Susan has my Complete and Total Endorsement!”
Trump’s backing could propel Wright — already the frontrunner in the contest — to a solid position in Saturday’s election. The former president’s loyal supporters, particularly in the small town and rural areas, are expected to heavily influence the contest, which features 11 Republicans out of 23 candidates. It gives Wright, a first-time candidate, a tested path to the conservative voters she will need to separate herself from the large field.
Wright’s Republican opponents had hoped to isolate her support base to Tarrant County, the largest segment of the district. With Trump’s endorsement, she has the chance to broaden her support with Republicans throughout the district, which includes parts of Tarrant, Ellis and Navarro counties.
“I’m truly honored to be endorsed by President Trump, and I’m so proud to be the only candidate in this race President Trump trusts to be his ally in our fight to Make America Great Again,” Wright said Monday in a prepared statement. “I’m looking forward to going to D.C. as the Congresswoman from the Sixth District of Texas to represent the America First agenda that President Trump successfully championed every day: securing the border, defending the Second Amendment, and protecting life.”
The former president’s endorsement of Wright is a blow to the candidacy of Republican Brian Harrison. He’s campaigned as an “America First” candidate who would push back against the policies of Joe Biden and continue the work of Trump. Harrison served as chief of staff of the Department of Health and Human Services for the Trump administration. His campaign mailers state that he’s “recruited” by the Trump administration.
What was first thought to be an easy race for Wright has turned into a tough fight for one of two spots in the expected runoff.
In the last two weeks she’s been trying to fend off the charge of state Rep. Jake Ellzey, the 2018 congressional candidate who lost to her husband in the GOP primary. Wright, the anti-tax group Club for Growth and Sen. Ted Cruz have labeled Ellzey an anti-Trump candidate. One of Ellzey’s top supporters, former Texas Gov. Rick Perry, says those allegations are untrue.
The May 1 special election is an open contest that includes Democrats and Republicans running in the same field. On the Democratic side, Jana Lynne Sanchez, the 2018 nominee against Ron Wright, is fighting for the party’s votes with former Democratic House nominee Lydia Bean and Fort Worth educator Shawn Lassiter.
