Trump-backed Republican Alex Mealer won a GOP primary runoff in a newly redrawn Houston-area congressional district, giving President Donald Trump another endorsement victory in Texas.
Mealer, an Army combat veteran and energy executive, defeated Texas state Rep. Briscoe Cain in Tuesday’s runoff, according to The Associated Press.
The race became another test of Trump’s influence in Republican primaries. Trump endorsed Mealer before the first round of voting in March, helping her finish first with 36% of the vote.
Cain, who finished second with 31%, was backed by Texas Gov. Greg Abbott and several conservative groups.
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Because no candidate won a majority in the first round, the race advanced to a runoff.
Mealer also received support from Club for Growth and Rep. Jim Jordan, giving her a strong conservative coalition against Cain, who has served in the Texas House since 2017.
Cain is considered one of the more conservative members of the Texas legislature and had endorsements from the NRA, Concerned Women for America, Young Republicans of Texas and the Texas Homeschool Coalition PAC.
Mealer will now face Democrat Leticia Gutierrez in the general election.
The district is widely expected to favor Republicans after being redrawn last year. The Cook Political Report rates the seat as noncompetitive, and Trump would have carried it by nearly 20 points in 2024.
The newly drawn district is expected to flip to Republican control after redistricting shifted the boundaries of a seat long represented by Democratic Rep. Al Green.
Green decided to run in another Houston-area Democratic seat, where he faced Rep. Christian Menefee in a separate runoff.
Mealer previously ran for Harris County judge in 2022, narrowly losing to Lina Hidalgo. Trump also backed her in that campaign.
Her runoff win adds to a string of Trump-endorsed victories and shows the continued power of his support in Republican primaries, even when another major GOP figure backs the opposing candidate.
Why It Matters
The race shows that Trump’s endorsement remains one of the strongest forces in GOP primaries. Mealer’s win is especially notable because she defeated a candidate backed by Texas Gov. Greg Abbott, highlighting the difference between state-level Republican power and Trump’s national MAGA influence.
What Comes Next
Mealer will face Democrat Leticia Gutierrez in November, but the district is expected to strongly favor Republicans. If she wins, she would join the next Congress as part of a growing group of Trump-backed House Republicans.
Another race called: Trump-endorsed candidate Alex Mealer has defeated Briscoe Cain in the GOP Primary runoff for the newly redrawn 9th Congressional District in Houston.
Mealer told The Texan, “I see this very much as step one…I’m excited for moving to the next phase, where… pic.twitter.com/u3W36eTQGm
— KTRH News (@ktrhnews) May 27, 2026
