STUNNER

Trump-Backed Widow of Late Congressman Loses Texas Runoff

State lawmaker Jake Ellzey will now replace U.S. Rep. Ron Wright—not Wright’s wife, who was favored to win.

The widow of a Texas congressman, who was endorsed by Donald Trump in the special election runoff for her husband’s seat, lost to a Republican state lawmaker in an upset. State Rep. Jake Ellzey will now succeed the late Rep. Ron Wright, a Republican who died in February after testing positive for COVID-19. His wife, Susan Wright, was considered the front-runner—and Trump endorsed her in the spring and again Monday night. Democrats, Republicans, and independents were able to vote in the runoff, and Ellzey had also expressed support for Trump, so the impact of the ex-president’s support was not clear-cut. However, The Wall Street Journal noted that Jacob Rubashkin, an analyst at Inside Elections, called the result “a reminder that Trump’s endorsement isn’t always a ticket to DC.”