Roy’s 2018 GOP runoff opponent, Boerne businessman Matt McCall, says he has requested former President Donald Trump’s endorsement for a 2022 primary challenge to the incumbent congressman from Texas’ 21st Congressional District.
In an interview with National Review, McCall said, “I have asked Trump for his endorsement to run against Chip Roy. If Trump endorses, I will run, and we will kick Chip Roy’s ass.”
McCall further stated that former Trump campaign and administration advisor-turned-persona non grata-turned-advisor again, Steve Bannon, had relayed the request with the former president.
Trump’s discontent with Roy stems from his refusal to join other GOP congressmen in objecting to the certification of presidential electors from a handful of states after the 2020 election.
Roy broke with other Texas Republicans, including his former boss Sen. Ted Cruz (R-TX), and not only voted to certify those electors but also objected to the results of congressional elections to prove a point about the objectors’ consistency — or lack thereof.
That decision, Roy said at the time, “may well sign my political death warrant, but so be it.”
Despite Roy’s broad support for Trump’s policies, the Texas Republican has not regained ground in the former president’s good graces.
Earlier this year, Roy mounted a last-minute challenge for a House GOP leadership position against Rep. Elise Stefanik (R-NY).
Trump released an endorsement statement of Stefanik, saying, “Can’t imagine Republican House Members would go with Chip Roy — he has not done a great job, and will probably be successfully primaried in his own district.”
Roy lost that intra-caucus election.
A spokesman for Roy’s campaign told The Texan in a statement, “Chip is laser-focused on fighting for his constituents against leftist policies that will weaponize government, bankrupt our nation, and undermine individual liberties.”
“Chip’s conservative record speaks for itself.”
Since the election, Roy has heightened his emphasis on the border crisis, criticizing the Biden administration for its policies and introducing legislation to prohibit the Chinese Communist Party from purchasing land in the U.S. — like may have been attempted out in West Texas.
In the 2018 primary, McCall ran for the 21st Congressional District in which he placed second, advancing to the runoff against Roy to whom he eventually lost by 1,819 votes.
McCall ran two previous, both unsuccessful primary challenges to longtime Congressman Lamar Smith in 2014 and 2016. He never received much more than a third of the vote, losing handily to Smith in each.
Even if McCall does not receive the endorsement, he told National Review that he’s open to supporting any Republican primary challenger to Roy that Trump endorses.
Texas’ 21st Congressional District was among national Democrats’ most targeted races highlighted by the high-profile showdown between Roy and Wendy Davis. But after Roy’s win, and with a potential GOP-favorable shift from redistricting, that district is no longer as sought after by Democrats.
The district was left off the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee’s initial 2022 target list. And so, given recent events, a primary may be the fight to watch — especially if the former president weighs in.
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Brad Johnson
Brad Johnson is a senior reporter for The Texan and an Ohio native who graduated from the University of Cincinnati in 2017. He is an avid sports fan who most enjoys watching his favorite teams continue their title drought throughout his cognizant lifetime. In his free time, you may find Brad quoting Monty Python productions and trying to calculate the airspeed velocity of an unladen swallow.
