Rep. Wesley Hunt (R-TX) entered the race for U.S. Senate on Monday, releasing a campaign video featuring his family and supporters alongside a message pledging to keep the race focused on Texas and conservative values.
Texas Congressman Wesley Hunt officially launched his U.S. Senate campaign Monday with a video featuring his family, military service, and supporters, followed by a statement pledging to keep the race centered on Texas issues rather than personal rivalries.
“This race should be about more than a personal vendetta between two candidates,” Hunt wrote on X. “This race is, and will be with my candidacy, about Texas. I will ensure this campaign focuses on what truly matters: Texas families, protecting American energy, keeping our border secure, and creating safer communities for every Texan.”
He went on to describe his record in Congress and his priorities for the campaign. “I am the most conservative Texas legislator in Congress. I was the first person in the country to endorse President Trump. I have listened to the people of Texas, and I will deliver,” Hunt remarked. “My convictions do not waver, they do not falter, and I do not hesitate to act on what’s best for our state. I will fight for Texas as hard as I fought for our nation in combat. Washington, D.C. does not get to tell Texas what to do. D.C. does not choose Texas’s leadership, Texans do.”
The campaign video, released early Monday, begins with the words, “Who is Wesley Hunt?” and features testimonials from family members, friends, and colleagues. His wife, Emily Hunt, states her husband “is not afraid of a challenge, of stepping up to the plate and giving it your all and showing we can fight back.”
Wrendon Hunt, Wesley’s brother, reflected on his time in combat, saying, “There have been moments when he was in grave danger, and there were people that knew they could look over at Wesley Hunt and trust that he would do what it took to get them home safe, to get them home to their family.”
Rep. Eli Crane (R-AZ), a fellow veteran, affirmed that Hunt “knows how important saving this country is” and added, “He has a lot of integrity. He has a lot of character. When he tells you he’s going to do something, he absolutely follows through and does it.” Veteran and community leader Larry Chapman praised Hunt as “one of the greatest congresspeople that’s ever represented our area.”
Hunt enters a crowded and closely watched race as Attorney General Ken Paxton and Sen. John Cornyn battle in a high-stakes Republican primary, while former Democratic Rep. Colin Allred has launched another Senate campaign after losing to Sen. Ted Cruz in 2024, a race in which Allred spent more than $77 million.
Polling earlier this year showed Paxton leading Cornyn by double digits, while Cornyn’s approval ratings have dropped following his role in bipartisan gun control negotiations with President Joe Biden in 2022. Breitbart News has reported that Paxton’s support from Trump-aligned conservatives has remained strong despite political and legal challenges.
In recent months, Hunt has led congressional efforts to audit state Medicaid expansions benefiting illegal immigrants, including letters to Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz and other Democratic governors questioning their use of federal waivers. He also introduced a resolution to designate July as “American Pride Month,” calling for a national celebration of America’s heritage and founding ideals.
He was featured in a September Breitbart News exclusive responding to former President Barack Obama’s comments after the assassination of Turning Point USA founder Charlie Kirk, which Hunt said reflected a double standard in how political violence against conservatives is treated. Hunt told Breitbart News that Democrats and the media had “vilified, censored, and targeted conservatives at every turn for over a decade,” warning that “America has crossed into an era where political violence against conservatives is normalized by silence, excuse-making, or even tacit encouragement from the left.”
His Hellfire PAC drew national attention during the 2024 presidential race for a one-minute ad aired on Fox News and CNN during the first presidential debate, spotlighting President Joe Biden’s past racial statements and ties to segregationist colleagues. The ad concluded, “After fifty years of racist statements and racist policies, Black Americans deserve better than Joe Biden,” and featured archival clips intended to expose what Hunt called the president’s “real record.” In a statement to Breitbart News at the time, Hunt commented, “If any Republican president had the history on race that Joe Biden has, they would be ostracized, canceled, and excoriated by the media.”
