Mike Wheeler (Texas)
Mike Wheeler (Republican Party) (also known as Wheels) is running for election to theU.S. House to representTexas' 21st Congressional District. He is on the ballot in the Republican primary onMarch 3, 2026.[source]
Wheeler completed Ballotpedia'sCandidate Connection survey in 2026.Click here to read the survey answers.
2026 battleground election
Ballotpedia identified the March 3, 2026, Republican primary for Texas' 21st Congressional District as abattleground election. The summary below is from our coverage of this election,found here.
Thirteen candidates are running in the Republican primary forTexas' 21st Congressional District on March 3, 2026. Two candidates lead in media attention and endorsements:Mark Teixeira (R) andTrey Trainor (R).
IncumbentChip Roy (R) is running in theRepublican primary for Texas Attorney General in 2026. For a list of U.S. Representatives who are not running for re-election in 2026,click here. The last time this district was open was2018, when Roy was first elected.
According to Marijke Friedman ofThe Texas Tribune, "Both Roy and [President Donald] Trump won handily in the 21st District in 2024, and the seat remained solidly Republican under the new congressional map approved by the Texas Legislature."[1] As of October 2025,The Cook Political Report with Amy Walter,Inside Elections with Nathan Gonzales, andLarry J. Sabato's Crystal Ball each rated the general electionSafe/Solid Republican.
Teixeira is a former professional baseball player and World Series champion.[2][3] Teixeira says he would support the military, end American involvement in long-term conflicts, and prioritize American interests to "championPresident Trump’s America First agenda."[4] Teixeira says he would support law enforcement and border security to promote local and national safety.[4] He says he would cut federal spending and promote Texas’ oil, gas, and nuclear industries to improve the economy.[4] Teixeira also says he would "restore patriotic education rooted in American and Texas values."[4] Trump, U.S. Rep.Jim Jordan (R-Ohio), and U.S. Rep.Steve Scalise (R-La.) endorsed Teixeira.[5]
Trainor is a lawyer who previously worked as general counsel for theTexas Secretary of State and theRepublican Party of Texas.[6] He also served as a commissioner on theFederal Election Commission (FEC) from 2020 to 2025.[7] Trainor says his legislative priorities would be improving border security, reducing federal spending, and upholding Constitutional rights.[6] Trainor is campaigning on his legal experience, saying he has "been on the front lines defending the Constitution" throughout his career.[6] He is also campaigning on his experience on the FEC, saying he has a history of promoting election security.[6] Highlighting Trump appointing him to the FEC, Trainor says he supports Trump’s policies and describes himself as a "soldier of the conservative cause and the America First agenda."[6] Texas Railroad CommissionerWayne Christian (R) and former chair of the Republican Party of Texas Cathie Adams (R) endorsed Trainor.[8]
Also running in the primary areDaniel Betts (R),Jason Cahill (R),Jacques DuBose (R),Ezekiel Enriquez (R),Denis Goulet (R),Weston Martinez (R),Matt Okerson (R),Paul Rojas (R),Heather Tessmer (R),Peggy Wardlaw (R), andMike Wheeler (R).
Texas conducted redistricting between the 2024 and 2026 elections. As a result, district lines in this state changed. To review how redistricting took place in Texas,click here. For a list of all states that drew new district lines between 2024 and 2026,click here.
Elections
2026
See also: Texas' 21st Congressional District election, 2026
General election
The primary will occur on March 3, 2026. The general election will occur on November 3, 2026. Additional general election candidates will be added here following the primary.
General election for U.S. House Texas District 21
Dan McQueen is running in the general election for U.S. House Texas District 21 on November 3, 2026.
Candidate | ||
 | Dan McQueen (Independent) | |
| There are noincumbents in this race. | |||
 = candidate completed theBallotpedia Candidate Connection survey. | ||||
| If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you,complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey. | ||||
Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data?Contact our sales team. | ||||
Democratic primary election
Democratic primary for U.S. House Texas District 21
Kristin Hook,Gary Taylor, andRegina Vanburg are running in the Democratic primary for U.S. House Texas District 21 on March 3, 2026.
Candidate | ||
 | Kristin Hook | |
 | Gary Taylor | |
 | Regina Vanburg | |
| There are noincumbents in this race. | |||
| = candidate completed theBallotpedia Candidate Connection survey. | ||||
| If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you,complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey. | ||||
Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data?Contact our sales team. | ||||
Withdrawn or disqualified candidates
- Daniel Weber (D)
Republican primary election
Republican primary for U.S. House Texas District 21
The following candidates are running in the Republican primary for U.S. House Texas District 21 on March 3, 2026.
Candidate | ||
 | Daniel Betts | |
 | Jason Cahill | |
 | Jacques DuBose | |
 | Ezekiel Enriquez | |
 | Weston Martinez | |
 | Paul Rojas | |
 | Kyle Sinclair (Unofficially withdrew) | |
 | Mark Teixeira | |
 | Heather Tessmer | |
 | Trey Trainor | |
 | Peggy Wardlaw | |
 | Mike Wheeler | |
| Incumbents arebolded and underlined. | |||
| = candidate completed theBallotpedia Candidate Connection survey. | ||||
| If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you,complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey. | ||||
Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data?Contact our sales team. | ||||
Withdrawn or disqualified candidates
- Denis Goulet (R)
- Jessica Karlsruher (R)
- Chip Roy (R)
- Matt Okerson (R)
Polls
We provide results for polls that are included in polling aggregation fromRealClearPolitics, when available. We will regularly check for polling aggregation for this race and add polls here once available. To notify us of polls available for this race, pleaseemail us.
Election campaign finance
Candidate spending
| Name | Party | Receipts* | Disbursements** | Cash on hand | Date |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Daniel Betts | Republican Party | $151,479 | $60,867 | $90,613 | As of December 31, 2025 |
| Jason Cahill | Republican Party | $284,491 | $167,123 | $117,368 | As of December 31, 2025 |
| Jacques DuBose | Republican Party | $0 | $0 | $0 | Data not available*** |
| Ezekiel Enriquez | Republican Party | $88,242 | $69,593 | $14,277 | As of December 31, 2025 |
| Weston Martinez | Republican Party | $18,724 | $13,144 | $5,580 | As of December 31, 2025 |
| Paul Rojas | Republican Party | $165,026 | $8,165 | $156,862 | As of December 31, 2025 |
| Kyle Sinclair | Republican Party | $0 | $0 | $0 | Data not available*** |
| Mark Teixeira | Republican Party | $3,045,130 | $480,205 | $2,564,925 | As of December 31, 2025 |
| Heather Tessmer | Republican Party | $0 | $0 | $0 | Data not available*** |
| Trey Trainor | Republican Party | $94,253 | $18,281 | $75,972 | As of December 31, 2025 |
| Peggy Wardlaw | Republican Party | $0 | $0 | $0 | Data not available*** |
| Mike Wheeler | Republican Party | $325,374 | $137,297 | $188,078 | As of December 31, 2025 |
Source:Federal Elections Commission, "Campaign finance data," 2026. This product uses the openFEC API but is not endorsed or certified by the Federal Election Commission (FEC). *According to the FEC, "Receipts are anything of value (money, goods, services or property) received by a political committee." | |||||
Satellite spending
- See also:Satellite spending
Satellite spending describes political spending not controlled by candidates or their campaigns; that is, any political expenditures made by groups or individuals that are not directly affiliated with a candidate. This includes spending by political party committees,super PACs, trade associations, and501(c)(4)nonprofit groups.[9][10][11]
If available, this section includes links to online resources tracking satellite spending in this election. To notify us of a resource to add,email us.
| By candidate | By election |
|---|---|
Endorsements
Ballotpedia is gathering information about candidate endorsements. To send us an endorsement,click here.
Campaign themes
2026
Ballotpedia survey responses
See also:Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection
Mike Wheeler completedBallotpedia's Candidate Connection survey in 2026. The survey questions appear in bold and are followed by Wheeler's responses.
Expand all |Collapse all
I’ve been deeply involved in the grassroots of the Republican Party here in Texas, serving as a delegate, a precinct chair, the Kendall County Republican Party Chair, and as a member of the State Republican Executive Committee, which is effectively the board of directors for the Republican Party of Texas.After Chip Roy announced his candidacy for Attorney General in 2025, I decided to run for Congressional District 21 because I understand, from my years in the debt markets, the critical nature of addressing our national debt. I’m a solutions-oriented candidate with practical ideas to reduce our dependency on Chinese supply chains, ensure affordability, and safeguard Social Security.
In short, I’m running for Congress because my background gives me a clear understanding of the fiscal challenges we face and the urgency with which we must address them through responsible, solution-driven leadership.- To tackle inflation and ensure sustainable growth, Congress must act swiftly. That means eliminating waste, fraud, and abuse identified in audits, and enforcing a constitutional balanced budget. The trillions in federal assets—land and resources—should be managed like a business through public-private partnerships to generate returns dedicated to reducing the national debt. Lowering the debt will reduce interest rates, making borrowing cheaper, supporting affordable housing, and encouraging investment and job creation. Pair these steps with permanent tax reforms—lowering individual and capital gains taxes, and eliminating the estate tax—to foster long-term growth and fiscal stability.
- Rising healthcare premiums and limited local access are squeezing American families. Congress must increase competition by allowing insurance to be sold across state lines and breaking up monopolies. Open up networks to empower patients to compare costs—whether for an MRI or routine care—and choose the most affordable option. Telemedicine should be expanded, especially in rural communities, to reduce travel and wait times. HSAs must be strengthened by raising contribution limits and expanding eligibility so individuals, not insurers, control healthcare spending. Finally, we must rein in the power of PBMs and pharmaceutical giants to lower drug prices. A transparent, free-market healthcare system will reduce costs and put patients first.
- America must reform immigration. End birthright citizenship so there is no automatic citizenship for children of non-citizens. Our system should be merit-based, prioritizing skills, education, English proficiency, and economic contribution. Those who come here must be willing to assimilate into American culture. Trump's travel bans should be codified. We must enforce the law by deporting those here illegally, starting with criminals, and require asylum seekers to remain in Mexico. The diversity lottery should be eliminated, and chain migration should be limited to immediate family. Illegals should not receive public benefits. H-1B visas should be phased out, with corporations partnering with universities to develop American talent first.
I’m making a clear public pledge:
• I will not accept money from the pharmaceutical lobby.
• I will not accept money from the insurance lobby.
• I will not accept money from Big Tech or technology lobbyists.
• I will not pay for or accept paid endorsements.
• I will support and personally follow meaningful term limits.
Note: Ballotpedia reserves the right to edit Candidate Connection survey responses. Any edits made by Ballotpedia will be clearly marked with [brackets] for the public. If the candidate disagrees with an edit, he or she may request the full removal of the survey response from Ballotpedia.org. Ballotpedia does not edit or correct typographical errors unless the candidate's campaign requests it.
Campaign finance summary
Note: The finance data shown here comes from the disclosures required of candidates and parties. Depending on the election or state, this may represent only a portion of all the funds spent on their behalf.Satellite spending groups may or may not have expended funds related to the candidate or politician on whose page you are reading this disclaimer. Campaign finance data from elections may be incomplete. For elections to federal offices, complete data can be found at theFEC website. Clickhere for more on federal campaign finance law andhere for more on state campaign finance law.
| Year | Office | Status | Contributions | Expenditures |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026* | U.S. House Texas District 21 | On the Ballot primary | $325,374 | $137,297 |
| Grand total | $325,374 | $137,297 | ||
| Sources:OpenSecrets, Federal Elections Commission ***This product uses the openFEC API but is not endorsed or certified by the Federal Election Commission (FEC). | ||||
| * Data from this year may not be complete | ||||
See also
2026 Elections
External links
Footnotes
- ↑The Texas Tribune, "Former MLB player Mark Teixeira announces run for 21st Congressional District," August 28, 2025
- ↑ESPN, "Mark Teixeira biography," accessed October 26, 2025
- ↑Mark Teixeira 2026 campaign website, "Home," accessed October 26, 2025
- ↑4.04.14.24.3Mark Teixeira 2026 campaign website, "Issues," accessed October 26, 2025
- ↑Mark Teixeira 2026 campaign website, "Endorsements," accessed October 26, 2025
- ↑6.06.16.26.36.4Trey Trainor 2026 campaign website, "About Trey," accessed October 26, 2025
- ↑The Texas Tribune, "Texas GOP lawyer and former FEC chair Trey Trainor announces run for Chip Roy’s seat in Congress," October 6, 2025
- ↑Trey Trainor 2026 campaign website, "Home," accessed October 26, 2025
- ↑OpenSecrets.org, "Outside Spending," accessed December 12, 2021
- ↑OpenSecrets.org, "Total Outside Spending by Election Cycle, All Groups," accessed December 12, 2021
- ↑National Review.com, "Why the Media Hate Super PACs," December 12, 2021
