Trey Trainor
Trey Trainor (Republican Party) ran for election to the U.S. House to represent Texas' 21st Congressional District. He lost in the Republican primary on March 3, 2026.
Trainor completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey in 2025. Click here to read the survey answers.
Biography
Trainor received a bachelor’s degree and J.D. from Texas A&M University.[1] He previously served in the U.S. Army Reserve and worked as general counsel for the Texas Secretary of State and Republican Party of Texas.[1] He served as a commissioner on the Federal Election Commission from 2020 to 2025.[2] His career experience includes working as a lawyer.[1]
Elections
2026
See also: Texas' 21st Congressional District election, 2026
Texas' 21st Congressional District election, 2026 (March 3 Republican primary)
Texas' 21st Congressional District election, 2026 (March 3 Democratic primary)
General election
The candidate list in this election may not be complete.
General election for U.S. House Texas District 21
Kristin Hook, Mark Teixeira, and Dan McQueen are running in the general election for U.S. House Texas District 21 on November 3, 2026.
Candidate | ||
 | Kristin Hook (D)  | |
 | Mark Teixeira (R) | |
 | Dan McQueen (Independent) | |
| ||||
| = candidate completed the Ballotpedia 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 defeated Regina Vanburg and Gary Taylor in the Democratic primary for U.S. House Texas District 21 on March 3, 2026.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ | | Kristin Hook | 60.4 | 35,413 |
 | Regina Vanburg | 27.7 | 16,261 | |
 | Gary Taylor | 11.9 | 6,963 | |
| Total votes: 58,637 | |||
| = candidate completed the Ballotpedia 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Withdrawn or disqualified candidates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 ran in the Republican primary for U.S. House Texas District 21 on March 3, 2026.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ | | Mark Teixeira | 62.6 | 52,280 |
 | Jason Cahill | 9.9 | 8,245 | |
 | Trey Trainor | 8.3 | 6,976 | |
 | Mike Wheeler | 7.0 | 5,888 | |
 | Weston Martinez | 2.1 | 1,758 | |
 | Daniel Betts | 1.9 | 1,550 | |
 | Kyle Sinclair (Unofficially withdrew) | 1.7 | 1,394 | |
 | Peggy Wardlaw | 1.6 | 1,373 | |
 | Heather Tessmer | 1.5 | 1,244 | |
 | Paul Rojas | 1.4 | 1,179 | |
 | Ezekiel Enriquez | 1.3 | 1,088 | |
 | Jacques DuBose | 0.7 | 571 | |
| Total votes: 83,546 | |||
| = candidate completed the Ballotpedia 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)
Endorsements
Trainor received the following endorsements. To view a full list of Trainor's endorsements as published by their campaign, click here. To send us additional endorsements, click here.
- Texas Railroad Commissioner Wayne Christian (R)
- Former Republican Party of Texas Chair Cathie Adams
- Texas Right to Life
Campaign themes
2026
Ballotpedia survey responses
See also: Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection
Trey Trainor completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey in 2025. The survey questions appear in bold and are followed by Trainor's responses.
| Collapse all
- I’m a trusted ally of President Donald Trump, committed to advancing his America First agenda. As former FEC Chair appointed by Trump, I fought to defended free speech, and upheld constitutional values. In Congress, I’ll secure our borders, protect the unborn, and defend Second Amendment rights, just as I did advising Trump’s campaign. I’ll cut wasteful spending, oppose radical agendas, and restore our Republic’s founding principles. With a proven record of standing with Trump against the swamp, I’m ready to represent TX-21’s patriots. Join me at trey4tx.com to keep Texas strong and free, backing Trump’s vision for a prosperous, secure America!
- I’m a proven conservative for Texas, with a record as legal counsel to the Republican Party of Texas and representing grassroots organizations in court and at the Texas Legislature. I’ve fought for election integrity, defended pro-life causes, and protected Second Amendment rights. As former FEC Chair, I battled government overreach and upheld constitutional freedoms. In Congress, I’ll secure borders, cut wasteful spending, and champion TX-21’s values. My decades of advocacy for conservative principles make me the trusted voice to represent our district.
- I’m ready to serve the people of District 21 in Congress on day one, with a proven record of fighting bureaucracy in Washington. As former FEC Chair under President Trump, I battled election fraud, defended free speech, and took on the swamp. My experience as legal counsel in Texas and Washington equips me to deliver results—securing borders, protecting the unborn, and defending Second Amendment rights. I’ve spent years challenging government overreach, ensuring conservative values prevail. TX-21 deserves a leader who’s battle-tested and ready to act.
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 website
Trainor's campaign website stated the following:
A Trusted Ally of President Donald J. Trump — Proven Conservative for Texas
James “Trey” Trainor, III is a proud Texan, born in Odessa and raised with the values of faith, family, and service. A graduate of Texas A&M and member of the Corps of Cadets, Trey also served in the U.S. Army Reserves before earning his law degree at Texas A&M University School of Law.
For more than two decades, Trey has been on the front lines defending the Constitution, protecting election integrity, and advancing conservative principles. He has built a respected legal career in election law and constitutional issues, serving candidates, campaigns, and causes across Texas. Trey’s leadership earned him the role of General Counsel to the Republican Party of Texas and made him a trusted strategist for Republican victories statewide.
Trey’s service extends from Austin to Washington. He served as General Counsel to the Texas Secretary of State and later played a critical role on Governor Rick Perry’s 2012 presidential campaign. In 2016, Donald Trump tapped Trey to serve as Counsel to the Platform Committee at the Republican National Convention. After Trump’s victory, Trey was sworn in at the Department of Defense, and in 2020 President Trump appointed him to the Federal Election Commission, where he twice served as Chairman. At the FEC, Trey fought to defend free political speech, strengthen transparency, and represented the U.S. abroad as an election observer.
Despite his national experience, Trey has remained grounded in Texas grassroots activism—training poll watchers, advising Republican clubs, and working alongside the RPT’s Election Integrity Committee. He has never stopped fighting to secure our elections and protect the voice of the people.
With Trey’s vast experience in the Trump Administration and a lifetime of service, he will be ready to serve the people of CD 21 in Congress on day one. He is a tried and tested loyal foot soldier of the conservative cause and the America First Agenda. He will work to secure the border, rein in wasteful spending, defend our liberties, and stand shoulder-to-shoulder with President Trump to put America First.
At home in Driftwood, Trey and his wife Lucy have been married for 23 years and are raising six children. Guided by faith, committed to family, and devoted to Texas, Trey Trainor is a proven conservative who delivers results—and he’s ready to fight for Texas in Congress.
— Trey Trainor's campaign website (November 20, 2025)
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 the FEC website. Click here for more on federal campaign finance law and here for more on state campaign finance law.
See also
2026 Elections
External links
Footnotes
