Former White House doctor Ronny Jackson is one step closer to winning a seat in Congress.
The AP projected on Tuesday night that Jackson was the winner of the second round of the Republican Party House of Representatives in District 13 of the Texas Congress, in the race to succeed Republican Rep. Mac Thornberry, who is retiring after 25 years in office.
Jackson’s victory was due in part to strong support from President Trump. He took to Twitter after his victory to highlight that he and his wife Jane “just spoke on the phone with @realDonaldTrump! It’s official! I am honored to be the Republican nominee for # TX13! I promise I will make you proud!
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In congratulating Jackson, the President tweeted that “Ronny will be a fantastic congressman. He will represent the wonderful people of the Great State of Texas and the United States very well. Proud of you, Ronny!”
Trump had previously nominated Jackson for the secretary of Veterans Affairs, but the doctor withdrew from consideration after facing allegations of alcohol abuse and prescription drug abuse. Jackson called the charges “false and untrue”. He and his wife moved into their Texas home after withdrawing from the nomination.
Political experts say the president’s support tweet a few days before the March primaries helped Jackson reach the second round, which was delayed until July due to the coronavirus pandemic.
Jackson faced Josh Winegarner, a lobbyist for the Texas Livestock Feeders Association, in the second round. Winegarner had the backing of Thornberry, as well as other local endorsements.
In the runoff campaign, Jackson was helped by officials from Trump’s re-election campaign, which dramatically boosted his meager fundraising efforts. And they helped Jackson hire a professional Republican agent to run the doctor’s campaign.
Trump campaign communications director Tim Murtaugh called the victory “a clear testament to the power and value of President Trump’s endorsement and support.”
Jackson will now be considered the favorite in November in a district where Republicans have the advantage.
While the influence of political backing is always debatable, there is little argument that the backing of the president in a Republican primary can make a big difference.
While his record is not perfect (three Trump-backed House candidates have lost the primaries in recent weeks), the President’s support is extremely influential.
The same night Jackson won, the first time Trump-backed Tommy Tuberville crushed former Attorney General Jeff Sessions in the second round of the Republican Senate in Albama.
Sessions, who served a dozen years as an Alabama senator before becoming Trump’s first attorney general in 2017, angered the president by recusing himself that year from Russia’s investigation into the 2016 election.
Sessions, who was the first Republican senator to endorse Trump in the 2016 presidential election, was ousted as attorney general in November 2018. Since then, he has repeatedly served as a public punching bag for Trump.
