'Donald Trump Bled Tonight in Texas:' Reaction As Trump Pick Defeated in House Runoff

Donald Trump's power as a GOP kingmaker has suffered a blow after voters chose Republican Jake Ellzey over the former president's pick for a vacant seat in Congress, sparking claims that he is "not bulletproof."

According to the Associated Press, Ellzey took 53 percent of the vote, six points more than Trump-backed candidate Susan Wright in the special election runoff for the Texas 6th congressional district on Tuesday.

The AP reported that Ellzey told supporters after his victory: "One of the things that we've seen from this campaign is a positive outlook, a Reagan Republican outlook, for the future of our country is what the people of the 6th district really really want."

Susan Wright—the widow of the seat's previous holder Rep. Ron Wright, who died with COVID-19 in February—had been endorsed by Trump and his super-PAC.

Mark McKinnon, a former adviser to John McCain, said Ellzey's victory was proof that Trump was "not bulletproof."

During an appearance on MSNBC's The 11th Hour, McKinnon said: "This was a, sort of, 'man who would be king' moment. We see the mortal scratch and then he bleeds. Well, Donald Trump bled tonight in Texas and that sends a big signal to lots of Republicans everywhere that he's not bulletproof anymore and maybe the pendulum is starting to swing."

Ellzey was warmly congratulated by some GOP lawmakers and conservative commentators.

Former Texas Governor Rick Perry, who had backed Ellzey's run, wrote on Twitter: "Congratulations on a well-executed campaign. Jake Ellzey will be a fine congressman for Texas and part of a solid Republican majority in 2023."

Bill Kristol, a political analyst and "never Trump" neoconservative, tweeted: "Democratic votes may have put [Ellzey] over the top in the runoff, perhaps persuaded to go to Ellzey by Club for Growth ads attacking him for a $250 donation to him in 2018 from a 'vicious Never Trump hitman'—i.e. me."

Since his election defeat last November, Republican candidates have lined up to secure a Trump endorsement in hopes that the former president's star power can see off their challengers. One such Republican is Texas Governor Greg Abbott, who is raising funds to build a border wall.

However, voters in parts of Texas, including the 6th district north of Dallas, have shown signs of turning away from Trump.

According to the Associated Press, the 6th district was carried by Trump by just 3 percentage points in last year's presidential election, compared to his double-digit win in 2016, reflecting a shift to purple in the city's suburbs.

Newsweek has contacted Trump's office and Ellzey for comment.