Trump-endorsed Alex Mealer defeats Briscoe Cain in Houston House runoff
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Alex Mealer, an Army combat veteran and energy executive backed by President Donald Trump, is one step closer to winning the House election.
Mealer defeated state Rep. Briscoe Cain (R-Texas) in Tuesday’s GOP primary runoff for the Houston-based congressional seat, The Associated Press reported.
The matchup in the Republican-dominated district was another test of Trump’s support strength, which has proven decisive in many high-profile races this year.
The president endorsed Mealer shortly before the first round of voting in March, in which Mealer was the top vote-getter with 36%.
Texas House candidate Alex Mealer won a runoff against GOP primary rival state Rep. Briscoe Cain on Tuesday. (Alex Mealer campaign)
TRUMP-SUPPORTED CANDIDATE WINS Crowded GOP primary in BATTLE FOR VACANCY HOUSE SEAT
Mealer has received particular support from the conservative Club for Growth, which is often one of the biggest spenders in GOP primaries. Rep. Jim Jordan, R-Ohio, also supported her campaign.
Since Mealer failed to secure a majority of the votes, the race was held in the second round against Cain, who received 31% of the votes.
Cain has served in the Texas House of Representatives since 2017 and was endorsed by Gov. Greg Abbott, R-Texas. She is considered one of the most conservative members of the state legislature and has support from the National Rifle Association (NRA), Concerned Women for America, Young Republicans of Texas, and the Texas Homeschool Coalition PAC, among other pro-Republican groups.
President Donald Trump has endorsed Texas House candidate Alex Mealer, while Gov. Greg Abbott, R-Texas, has endorsed state Rep. Briscoe Cain for the Houston-based seat. (Jim Watson/AFP via Getty Images)
HOUSE DEMOCRATIC, WHO HAS REPEATEDLY TRIED TO COMPENSATE TRUMP, IS BEGINNING TO CANCEL THE 2nd ELECTION IN CASE OF DIFFICULTY.
The primary winner will face environmental activist Leticia Gutierrez in the general election.
The newly redrawn seat is expected to fall under Republican control and is rated uncompetitive by the Cook Political Report. Trump could carry the region by about 20 points in 2024.
Republicans redrew the Democrat-dominated seat last year as part of a GOP-friendly guerrilla movement that effectively removed Rep. Al Green, D-Texas, from the district he had represented for more than two decades.
Rep. Briscoe Cain, left, and House Speaker Dustin Burrows leave after a caucus meeting at the Texas Capitol in Austin on August 8, 2025. (Jay Janner/Austin American Statesman)
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Green ultimately chose to challenge Rep. Christian Menefee, D-Texas, for Houston’s only Democratic seat, which goes to a runoff Tuesday.
Mealer narrowly lost his bid against Judge Lina Hidalgo for Harris County Judge in 2022. He also received the president’s support during the campaign.
