The runoff on July 27 to determine the new U.S. Representative from Texas’ 6th District (Fort Worth) is an unusual contest of Donald Trump vs. Rick Perry by proxy, local sources told Newsmax.
Both candidates are conservative Republicans who differ little on issues. But Susan Wright, widow of the late Rep. Ron Wright, R-Texas, (who died in February from COVID-19), has the backing of Donald Trump and her opponent, former State Rep. Jake Ellzey, has been strongly endorsed by former Texas Gov. Rick Perry (who also served as Trump’s secretary of energy).
''I think the Trump endorsement and her party involvement should push Susan Wright over the top,'' Wayne Thorburn, former executive director of the Texas Republican Party, told Newsmax.
Thorburn added that ''there will probably be a very low turnout since there is no Democrat in the runoff.''
In the initial 23-candidate race, Susan Wright topped the field with 19 percent, followed by Ellzey (who narrowly lost the 2018 GOP primary to Ron Wright) with 13.8 percent.
Wright’s showing was noticeably weak, considering she had the endorsement of Trump and then-State GOP Chairman Allen West.
Moreover, widows of congressmen have a historically high success ratio in succeeding their late husbands. In the last half-century, only four congressional widows lost special elections for House seats held by their husbands.
Perry, during whose stint as governor Ellzey served as Veterans Affairs director, has said Trump was ''sold a bill of goods'' that his friend was somehow less conservative than Wright. But Trump still reiterated his support of Wright on Tuesday.
Since the initial primary, Ellzey has been endorsed by fellow Navy veteran and Rep. Dan Crenshaw, R-Texas, and by Ron Wright’s predecessor in Congress, former GOP Rep. Joe Barton.
In figures that were somewhat surprising, Ellzey has raised about three times the funds brought in by Wright — $1.23 million to $454,000.
Although Ron Wright faced two unusually strong challenges from Democrats in 2018 and ’20, the 6th District has been in Republican hands without interruption since then-Democratic Rep. (and future GOP Sen.) Phil Gramm resigned his seat and won the resulting special election as a Republican in 1983.
John Gizzi is chief political columnist and White House correspondent for Newsmax. For more of his reports, Go Here Now.
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